Clemson Announces Ring of Honor Inductees

CLEMSON, S.C. (WOLO) Three Clemson legends are making history on campus yet to be achieved in 23 years.

Tree Rollins, Kevin Johnson, and Michael Green are set to be enshrined and inducted in the Clemson Ring of Honor in the 2017-18 school year.

The distinction is given to a former Tiger already in the school’s athletic Hall of Fame who is cinsidered to have made a “significant contribution to the heritage of Clemson athletics.”

The celebration will take place at a football game in the fall that is still to be determined.

Biographies on Clemson Ring of Honor Inductees for 2017:

TREE ROLLINS, Men’s Basketball, 1973-77

• First Clemson athlete in any sport to have his number retired.
• Tested the NBA Early draft option twice, but showed loyalty to Clemson and returned to school both times.
• Graduated from Clemson in May of 2016 using the Tiger Trust Program
• Three-time All-ACC player in 1975-76-77.
• Three-time NABC All-District, first Clemson player to do that.
• First Clemson basketball player to win the Frank Howard Award (Bringing Honor to Clemson).
• Forty years after his last Clemson game, he is still the career leader in blocked shots in ACC history (4.09 per game) and ranked fifth in total rebounds with 1311.
• Rollins, Ralph Sampson and Tim Duncan are only ACC players to lead league in blocked shots four consecutive years.
• Had 61 career double doubles, first in Clemson history, seventh in ACC history.
• Started all 110 games of his Clemson career.
• Clemson’s second All-American in basketball history, he was a third-team selection in 1976-77 according to the Associated Press.
• Named to the NABC All-Star Game in 1977
• Inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1987
• Named to Clemson’s 100-Year Anniversary team
• Named to ACC 50-Year Anniversary team in 2002.
• First-round draft choice of the Atlanta Hawks in 1977, Clemson’s first first-round selection.
• Played 18 years in the NBA, more than any former Clemson athlete in any professional sport.

Team Accomplishments

• Team set record for wins In 1976-77, his senior year with 22-6 record.
• Helped Clemson to its first postseason team appearance as a sophomore in 1974-75.
• Clemson finished second in the ACC in 1975 and 1977, a first in Clemson history.
• Clemson team was 71-39 overall, including 24 ACC wins that was a record at the time for a four-year class.
• Team posted nine wins over top 20 teams in his last three years, including six wins over top 10 teams.

KEVIN JOHNSON, Men’s Golf, 1985-89

• Named to ACC 50-Year Anniversary men’s golf team in 2002.
• First three-time All-American in Clemson  golf history.  Third-team as a sophomore, first team as a junior and second team as a senior.
• Won ACC individual Championship in 1988.
• Three-time first-team All-ACC.
• Played for the United States in 1988 World Cup and 1989 Walker Cup
• Still Clemson’s career leader in top 10 finishes with 27.
• Won the 1987 United States Public Links Championship, he was second the following year.
• Led Clemson to a No. 3 NCAA finish in 1989.  Johnson would have won the NCAA Championship in 1989 had he not been ushered out of the scoring area to meet with the press before he had signed his scorecard.  His score for that day was disqualified.  Instead, Phil Mickelson won the championship.
• Finished ninth at the 1987 NCAA Tournament
• Graduated in spring of 1990.

Team Accomplishments:  Led Clemson to four NCAA National tournament appearances and three top 20 finishes.  Tigers finished 11^th in 1987, 17^th in 1988 and third in 1989.  Team won the ACC Championship in 1987 and 1988.

MICHAEL GREEN, Men’s Track,  1990-93 

• Named to ACC 50-Year Anniversary men’s track team in 2002
• Won two National Championships indoors in the 55 meters. Won the titles in 1992 and 1993.
• Won the National Championship in the 100 meters outdoors in 1993, making him a three-time individual National Champion.
• Eight-time All-American, four outdoors and four indoors.
• Nine-time ACC Champion overall, four indoors and five outdoors.
• The 1993 ACC Indoor Meet MVP
• The 1993 IPTAY Athlete of the Year for the entire athletic program
• Also won the Frank Howard Award for bringing honor to Clemson in 1992.
• Set ACC meet record in the 55 meters when he graduated.
• Set Clemson record in the 100 meters with a 10.01 time.
• Inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001
• Two-time Olympian for Jamaica.
• Graduated from Clemson in 1996.

Team Accomplishments:  Team won seven of a possible eight ACC Championships during Green’s career.  Finished NCAA runner-up indoors twice, 1991 and 1992 and had three top 15 finishes during the outdoor season.

Clemson SID contributed to this article.