Dare to dream big – like Renfrow and the champion Clemson Tigers

Jan. 10, 2017: It was another bone-chilling morning in our region following a much anticipated weekend storm that left more ice than snow and days of below freezing temperatures.

But it wasn’t a morning you could call miserable, or even dark and dreary. A lot folks had a little extra spring in their step and a warm aura that belied the frozen conditions as they walked their dogs, waited for the school bus or hustled off to work. Most of them are dedicated Clemson fans still basking in the glow of their Tigers, college football’s newly minted champions. Others just love their state and were buoyed by knowing that if nothing else great happens here this year, South Carolina will be celebrated as the home of Clemson University.

Winning the title was made even sweeter because it came at the expense of defending champion Alabama, the big, bad bullies on the block who barely held off Clemson in last year’s championship game.

The Tigers had a full year to build up to the rematch and even after the Crimson Tide re-took the lead in the final minutes last week, the Tigers kept their composure and deftly worked their way down the field and were set up just outside the goal line with seconds left. The score was 28-31 and it would have been tempting for some head coaches to attempt the chip-shot field goal and hope for the best in overtime.

Not Dabo Swinney. Clemson’s leader went for the win and in a perfectly executed play, quarterback Deshaun Watson found wide open receiver Hunter Renfrow for the score and just like that, legends were born. Realize that Clemson hadn’t won a championship since 1981. And the last time the Tigers defeated the Crimson Tide? That would be ‘05. As in 1905.

One of the most enjoyable elements of the game is that it ended up being Renfrow, a walk-on player who had to prove he was eventually worth a scholarship, who caught the winning touchdown. Some may be tempted to compare Renfrow to another celebrated walk-on college player, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, who “played” at Notre Dame in the 1970s. The inspiration for the film “Rudy,” Ruettiger actually played only a handful of snaps in his final home game in 1975, a reward for slogging it out in practice day after day as a scout team player – essentially fodder for the varsity. At 5-6 and about 160 pounds, Ruettiger was small even by Division III standards and not a particularly gifted athlete. But he was determined to play for the Fighting Irish and darned if he didn’t.

Meanwhile, Renfrow, no giant himself at 5-11 and somewhere in the lean 170-pound range, is an exceptional athlete. A converted quarterback, he has NFL-worthy speed and a fluidity to his route running that already has scouts talking about first-round draft potential. He’s a redshirt sophomore who might get a little taller and certainly will be more muscular by the time he leaves college.

Ruettiger willed himself to get a tiny taste of playing in a big-time college football game; Refrow got the whole enchilada and then some. As different as their stories are, the two men are linked by an important trait of successful people – refusing to accept less than your dream. As modest as it was, Ruettiger probably had the least realistic goal between the two given his lack of natural born talent. Renfrow, with at least one more college season to go and maybe two if he declines to exit school early for the 2018 NFL draft, surely is dreaming even bigger than he was a week ago.

Clemson’s upset win over Alabama is more than a source of pride for South Carolina. It’s a reminder that appreciation of one’s own talent, combined with dedication, hard work, focus, willpower and unwavering belief in your goals can make dreams come true.

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Dare to dream big – like Renfrow and the champion Clemson Tigers."