INSIDE: SPECIAL GRADUATION ISSUE MAY 17, 2019 MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA VOL. 36, NO. 2011 Changing up the game plan New chapter for Cullen Harper BY BRYCE DONOVAN
[email protected] ost college football players try to take it easy the night Mbefore a big game. But Cullen Harper — the starting quarterback for the Clemson Tigers from 2007 to 2008 — wasn’t most football players. He remembers spending countless hours on Friday nights drawing up every pass play the team had. He’d go through all the route trees. All his progressions. He’d draw until his hand hurt. Then he’d quiz himself. Where is my protection? Is the defense going to blitz? Photo by Clemson Athletics Who’s my hot read? Cullen Harper led the Atlantic Coast Conference in passing in 2008. That same season he would go “It really was something I took pride in,” he says, his bright on to lead the Tigers to wins in four of their last five games. Below photo: Harper in MUSC’s dental orange jersey now replaced by dark blue scrubs. “I felt like I clinic after his first extraction. couldn’t ever be too prepared. I always wanted to be one of the hardest workers and a guy people could depend on.” trying to build in the very infant stages of our program.” Harper’s place in Clemson lore will forever be tied to Building off Harper’s leadership, Swinney has gone 116-30, a then little–known wide receivers coach. It was 2008, leading the Tigers to two national championships in the past and Clemson, which was a preseason top 10 team, was three years.