Howard's Rock

Howard's Rock is a large piece of white flint that is displayed in Clemson University's Memorial Stadium. The rock is the center of a longstanding tradition where players touch it before running down the hill in the east end zone at each home football game.

History

The rock was brought to football coach Frank Howard in the early 1960s as a gift from Samuel C. Jones. Jones found the rock while driving through Death Valley, California and gave it to Howard as a reference to "Death Valley," the name Howard used to refer to Memorial Stadium. The coach used the rock as a doorstop until 1966. He was cleaning out his office when he told Gene Willimon, a Clemson booster, "Take this rock and throw it over the fence or out in the ditch...Do something with it, but get it out of my office." It was Willimon who had the rock placed on a pedestal in the east end zone, where it remains today.

The rock made its first appearance on September 24, 1966: Clemson was losing to Virginia by 18 points with seventeen minutes left in the game. The Tigers made up the deficit and won the game 40-35. The next season was when the tradition of rubbing the rock upon entering the stadium began. Howard reportedly said to his players, "If you're going to give me 110 percent, you can rub that rock. If you're not, keep your filthy hands off of it."

The Tigers have continued this tradition since 1967, except for two-and-a-half seasons between 1970 and 1972. This was due to new head coach Hootie Ingram's changing the team's entrance to the west end zone after Frank Howard's retirement. During those seasons, Clemson held a bad record at home of 6-9. Before the South Carolina rivalry game in 1972, the team voted to enter via the east end zone and run down the hill. They later won the game 7-6.

Frank J. Howard

Before his career at Clemson University, Howard was born and raised in Barlow Bend, Alabama. His athleticism began in Murphy High School where he was a member of the baseball, basketball and football team. In 1927, Howard received a scholarship to play football at the University of Alabama playing the position of reserve guard. He was a regular starter for the team throughout most of his junior and senior year. After he graduated, he came to Clemson University to be an assistant coach under Clemson’s head coach, Neely. He specialized with the defensive line and eventually took over for Neely after his retirement. During this time, he also coached the Clemson baseball team in 1943 and the track team from 1931 to 1939. He was awarded two Coaches of the Year Awards in 1948 (Southern Conference Coach of the Year) and 1966 (Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year). He ended his coaching career with a victory total that was in the top 20 of all college coaches of 1969 and still remains in the top 40.

When he retired from coaching after 30 years, Howard kept his position as athletic director for three years and eventually retired at the age of 65 in 1971. Shortly after, the Clemson stadium was built in honor of the retiree. The Memorial Stadium was named “Frank Howard Field” and the rock sat on the top of the hill. On January 26, 1996, Howard died at the age of 86. He was survived by his wife, Anna Tribble; his children, Alice and Jimmy; and his four grandchildren.

Vandalism

On June 2, 2013 Howard's Rock was vandalized. The case the Rock was held in was broken into and a large portion of the rock was broken off. Three men have been arrested in this ongoing investigation; ESPN reported that “the charges being pressed on him are felony malicious injury to animals or personal property valued at more than $2,000 but less than $10,000 and misdemeanor trespassing." The charges were subsequently upgraded. The damage to the rock was re-evaluated to more than 10,000 dollars. Clemson University police later stated that the surveillance video from the outside of Memorial Stadium shows that three people got out of the truck used in the act. Two more people have been arrested and released on a bond of 7,500 dollars.