HOMER JORDAN

Homer Jordan was a first-team Class AAAA all-state player in 1978 and later the quarterback who led Clemson to its first national title in 1981. Jordan was a three-year starter and two-way player in high school. He played quarterback and safety on an 11-1 team that was ranked No. 2 entering the playoffs his senior year. Jordan had 1,661 total yards that year and scored 13 touchdowns and passed for seven. Cedar Shoals was 19-3 in Jordan’s two seasons as its starting quarterback. At Clemson, Jordan was a three-year starter. The iconic 1981 Tigers team finished 12-0 and launched the program as a national power. Jordan was MVP of the Tigers’ Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska that ensured the national championship. The win also made Jordan the first African American starting quarterback to lead a Southern team to an NCAA Division I-A national title. Jordan was the All-ACC quarterback that season. He passed for 3,642 yards and rushed for 971 in his college career. Jordan played four seasons in the Canadian Football League and one in the NFL. After retirement, Jordan coached high school football, spending 10 seasons at alma mater Cedar Shoals. He is a member of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame (1993), the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame (1993) and the Athens Athletic Hall of Fame (2000).