Winning a second national championship meant the world to Clelin Ferrell, who ended his Clemson career by winning the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s best defensive end. He was also picked as a consensus All-American.
But none of that is why he decided to return to Clemson for one final year. He came back to win another championship and to leave a legacy at Clemson that will never be forgotten.
“I’m going to look back at it not so much as an individual thing because that does not matter,” he said. “I just enjoyed the journey with my teammates and the family that we have here at Clemson. To see us go out and do everything that we set out to do and then capitalize on it on the field and finish by beating a great team, that meant the world to me.
“And it is not just beating them but dominating in the moment. That meant the world to me.”
With his Associated Press All-American selection, Ferrell became Clemson’s first two-time, first-team AP All-American since Terry Kinard did it in 1981 and in 1982. He was also the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Ferrell was credited with 53 tackles (19.5 for loss) this season, 11.5 sacks, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including one recovered for a touchdown.
He tied William Perry (28.0) for fourth-most career sacks in school history with his sack in the Cotton Bowl win over Notre Dame. He contributed four tackles, including 1.5 for loss in the National Championship Game against Alabama.
Here are Ferrell’s best plays from the 2018 season, courtesy of the ACC Digital Network.
Move over Alabama, Clemson is the new King of College Football. In our new magazine “Little Ole Clemson”: The Best “Little” Dynasty Ever, we examine not just the 2018 team’s run to being “the best ever” but examine the last four seasons and how Dabo Swinney turned Clemson into the new dynasty of college football. We also take a look at the role former athletic director Terry Don Phillips played. We go behind the scenes at the Tigers’ run to a second national championship in three seasons and the previous three national championship runs. It also features stories on the Power Rangers, the 2018 senior class, high quality photos and much, much more.
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