Clemson’s Howard’s Rock, ‘Play Like a Champion Today’ signs among beloved totems in college football
October 10, 2025
NFL Pro Bowl player Hunter Renfrow says few experiences compare to Clemson’s tradition of touching Howard’s Rock. Before each home game, players touch the rock and run down a hill into Memorial Stadium with 80,000 fans cheering them on. The tradition began in 1966. Renfrow says the ritual embodies sacrifice and team spirit. The rock is a literal totem, one of the most well-known across college football along with the likes of the “Play Like a Champion Today” signs at Oklahoma and Notre Dame and the M Club banner at Michigan.