| Levon Kirkland |
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Levon Kirkland came to Clemson in 1987 and continued the great linebacker tradition for the Tigers on the gridiron. It didn't take long after he arrived on campus in 1987; Kirkland immediately began making an impact. After red-shirting for a year, Kirkland ranked fifth in tackles on the 1988 team that went 10-2 and defeated Oklahoma in the Citrus Bowl.
In 1989, Kirkland burst onto the national scene with his constant harassment of All-American West Virginia quarterback Major Harris in the Gator Bowl to cap off a first-team All-ACC season. In that Gator Bowl victory, he earned MVP honors with nine tackles, a sack, and three quarterback pressures. He was a finalist (and the only underclassmen) for the Butkus Award and a second-team UPI All-American in 1990 on one of the top defense's in Clemson history, a unit that ranked first in the country in total defense. Kirkland finished his days as a Tiger in 1991 as a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award and was named a first-team All-American according to Kodak/AFCA, Sporting News, Scripps Howard, and Walter Camp.
Kirkland left Clemson among the leaders in several statistical categories. He is tied for second in fumble recoveries (7), ninth in career sacks (19), and 11th in career tackles for loss (40). Following his Clemson career, Kirkland was a second-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1992 NFL Draft. He played 11 seasons in the NFL with Pittsburgh, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was named All-Pro in 1996 and 1997 and played in the Pro Bowl after the 1996 and 1997 seasons. After being named to Clemson's Centennial team in 1996, Kirkland was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 2001.
