Since he has been at Clemson, Tremayne Anchrum has experienced things other players have just dreamed about in college football.
As a true freshman, Anchrum played in 11 games during Clemson’s national championship run and played that night in Tampa win the Tigers beat Alabama to win it all. He has been a part of three ACC Championship teams and will be playing in his third College Football Playoff on Dec. 29 when the Tigers play Notre Dame in the 83rd Cotton Bowl Classic.
Besides being in the national championship game, he has played in the Fiesta Bowl and in the Sugar Bowl. The Cotton Bowl will be the third major bowl game he will play in, something most college football players get to do even once.
For Clemson, who also recently played in the 2012, 2014 and 2016 Orange Bowls, the Cotton Bowl will mark the eighth major bowl game in the last eight years the program has played in, counting its two national championship game appearances as well, which are officially recognized as bowl games by the NCAA.
“It’s like you don’t really appreciate it as much when you’re there but afterwards you’re like, ‘Wow this is a really special thing that not everybody in the world does,’ only like five percent get to experience something like that,” Anchrum said. “Those experiences go a long way.”
Because the Tigers (13-0) are playing in such big games, they’re playing big-time opponents as well. They’re playing against some of the most iconic programs in the history of college football, programs such as Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama, and now Notre Dame.
“Yeah at the time it’s just another opponent, but after you look at it you’re like, ‘These are stories you can tell your friends, kids,’ just a lot of talking pieces down the road,” Anchrum said. “Like ‘Hey I played Notre Dame in Dallas in AT&T Stadium.’
“Like that is something that’s big that you can carry with you for the rest of your life.”
As Anchrum said, the Cotton Bowl will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, just outside Dallas. It is considered one of the best sports venues in the world and has a 60-foot video board that stretches from one 20-yard line to the other 20-yard line.
The stadium, which used to be known as Cowboys Stadium, seats 100,000 fans.
“That’s special, man. Playing in Dallas, that’s a dream and that’s not something you get to do every day so it’s a rare opportunity that we’re going to take advantage of,” Anchrum said.
Playing in the Cotton Bowl, playing in the CFP and playing for conference and national championships is why Anchrum came to Clemson in the first place. He wanted the opportunity to play in big games, against big-time players. Clemson has provided him those opportunities.
“Every time I considered a school in recruiting, I wanted to see what team would allow me to play at the highest level with the highest caliber players because I had just always felt like I was one of the top tier players in the country,” he said. “I wanted to test my talent against the other top guys in the country. I felt like Clemson gave me an opportunity to do that.”