Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins helped put Clemson football on the map. During last Saturday’s game at Death Valley, Clemson University put both of them in the hall of fame.
Boyd and Watkins are among the most dynamic players in the history of the Tigers’ program, and during their three seasons together at Clemson, helped launch the program from one mired in mediocrity to a national powerhouse that would go on to win two national championships.
A look back at their respective careers shows just how dominant Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins were in college.
Boyd, one of the greatest Clemson quarterbacks of all-time, passed for 11,904 yards and 107 touchdowns in his storied career. He also rushed for 1,165 yards and 26 more scores. But Tajh Boyd’s favorite target was Sammy Watkins. Watkins, who arrived on campus the year after Boyd in 2011, would become a Tiger legend, too.
Tajh Boyd Clemson Highlights | ACC Football Icon
In his three-year career from 2011-13, Watkins accumulated 240 receptions for 3,391 yards and 27 touchdowns. He averaged 14.1 yards per receptions for his career. Sammy was also a lethal kick returner with 1,376 return yards in his career. His 5,106 career all-purpose yards came in just 36 games, an average of 141.8 total yards per game.
Official Highlights | Clemson WR Sammy Watkins
But perhaps the most iconic moment shared by Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins was the 2014 Orange Bowl, the final game as a Tiger for both players. On that night in Miami, Boyd and Watkins put on a show for the ages and helped the Tigers claim the first BCS bowl win in program history. Tajh completed 31 of 40 passes for 378 yards and 5 touchdowns. Watkins was on the receiving end of 16 of those passes for 227 yards and 2 scores.
It was a truly iconic moment in the history of Clemson football, created in large part by two of the most electrifying players to wear the paw. Now, just as they were inseparable on the field, Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins will be immortalized together, forever, in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame.
