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| Jeff Davis |
| "We just knew we were going to win that night," reflects Davis, who was nicknamed The Judge by then assistant sports information director Kim Kelly. "I think the first possession of the game was the key because they fumbled and William Devane recovered. That led to a score and that was something we had been doing all year, forcing turnovers and taking over the game. That just told us that this game was not going to be any different than any of the others." Perry Tuttle, Davis' roomate for four years and also an All-American on Clemson's 1981 National Championship team, recalls that season and Davis' passion for the game. "When we were in the room at night he would talk about the defense and what it was going to do until I fell asleep," said Tuttle. "As the season went on we just started dreaming about what could happen with this team and as we went along everything started to come true." Davis was a fifth-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1982, but proved the NFL Scouts wrong by posting impressive numbers in a six-year NFL career. The inside linebacker played in 83 games, 72 as a starter between 1982-87. He led Tampa Bay in tackles three of the six years, including a career high 165 stops in 1984, and served as the team captain for four seasons. He still rankes third in Bucs history in career tackles with 662 and is fourth in caused fumbles with 11. Davis has been just as successful in life after football. In the Spring of 1999 he returned to Clemson as field director of the Call Me Mister Program within the Department of Education, Health and Human Development. He is also a pastor, having served as pastor of Covanant Worship Church in Tampa, FL from 1995-98. He and his wife Joni graduated from Clemson on the same day in 1984 and they are the parents of four daughters and twin boys, who were born in June of 1995. "One of my main goals in life is to touch the lives of other people and touch them in a positive way. Any time you receive an award like this it means you've been surrounded by great people. I want to thank all the people at Clemson, because no one receives an honor lke this without help. I am proud to say I am a Clemson graduate and that I represented the University. Hopefully I have had as positive an impact on them as they have had on me." |
| First-Team All-American by UPI, Football Coaches, Football Writers, Football News, Walter Camp, 1981. First linebacker in Clemson history to be named consensus first-team All- American. ACC Player of the Year, 1981. Captain of the Clemson National Championship team, 1981. First-Team All-ACC, 1981. Played in East-West Shrine Bowl and Japan Bowl, 1981. Had 30 career double-figure tackle games Led Clemson in tackles in 25 different games between 1979-81. Set Clemson single game tackle record with 24 against UNC, 1980. #3 in Clemson history in career tackels (469). #5 in Tampa Bay Bucs history in career tackles (662). |
| Source: 2000 Clemson Football Media Guide |