Clemson Football: 3 CFB legends who were bested by the Tigers
2. Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson isn’t in the CFB Hall of Fame yet, but he will be and there’s really no doubt about that.
Jackson is currently tearing up defenses in the NFL and just won his first MVP Trophy during the 2019 season. Rewind just a few years prior and that takes us to Jackson’s match-ups against the Tigers.
Jackson, the 2016 Heisman winner, led the Louisville Cardinals into Death Valley to take on the Deshaun Watson-led Clemson Tigers. Both teams had CFB Playoff hopes on the line as they entered both ranked inside the top-five.
While Jackson and Watson both had historical nights, it was Watson that ultimately made the final plays needed to lead Clemson to a 42-36 victory. That game will forever be remembered for the legacy of the two quarterbacks who faced off, but Jackson had another chance against Clemson the following season.
Despite entering the 2017 season as the favorite to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner, Jackson was unable to get the job done. His Louisville Cardinals finished the season just 8-5 overall and lost at home to Clemson by a score of 47-21.