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Audio Interview -- Player Spotlight (08.26.09) -- LISTEN

Skinny: Spiller is the ultimate game-breaker. Generally known as a speed back/multi-purpose back, the former track runner is more physical than you think. In fact, Spiller can often be seen bouncing off defenders, as well as breaking tackles. The key with stopping the versatile back is to cut him down before he gains a head of steam. Once Spiller accelerates past the first level of defenders, he’s one of the hardest players to bring down among his collegiate peers. When that fifth gear is activated, the speedster effortlessly shows the ability to run through traffic and the strong determination to get past the goal line. His running style doesn’t change much in the return game, where he’s equally as explosive. Also noteworthy is the fact that he’s economical with his lateral moves when sidestepping defenders at the line of scrimmage or in tight spaces. The rising Tiger will smoothly glide to avoid his opponents and keep on running in a straight line. His hands as a receiver are soft and reliable. The biggest concern with the future first-round pick is the wear and tear he inflicts on his hamstrings during his breathtaking bursts of speed. Spiller holds the NCAA record with seven career kickoff returns for a touchdown.

SCOUT'S TAKE

Pros: Spiller is an electrifying running back who has the ability to take it the distance on any given play. Potentially the most gifted all around player in the ACC, Spiller is ranked 2nd in Division I for all-purpose yards per attempt (8.53). He is a bona fide home-run threat every time he touches the ball, whether it’s on the ground, through the air or in the return game.

Cons: He doesn’t have great size; weighing around 200 pounds, so the question is can he carry the load 20 to 25 times a game. With the NFL going to a lot of two back systems Spiller fit into that mold perfectly, since he has great hands and can do damage once he gets a hold of the rock.

Stock: With James Davis now in the NFL, Spiller must show that he can be a full time back. Clemson is going to ask Spiller to be the workhouse this season, if he shows he can do it, he will be a first round pick, if he can’t he will drop out of the first round but still will be a valuable assist to any NFL team.

2009 Preseason: Spiller is an electrifying running back who has the ability to take it the distance on any given play. With James Davis now in the NFL, Spiller must show that he can be a full-time back. He doesn’t have great size at around 200 pounds so the question is—can he carry the load 20 to 25 times a game? The NFL has become full of two-back systems, and Spiller fits that mold perfectly since he has great hands and can do damage once he gets the football. Clemson is going to ask Spiller to be the workhouse this season and if he shows he can handle it, he will be a first-round pick. If he comes up short, he will drop out of the first round but still be a valuable asset to the team that drafts him.A former First-Team High School All-American, C.J. Spiller's final season at Clemson has many already whispering that he’s a true Heisman candidate. Already Clemson's all-time leader in all-purpose yards with 4,908, he needs 921 more yards to break the ACC record.

Quote of Note: "I think C.J. is the best player in this conference and probably the best player in the country. Obviously, I'm very biased, but I'm very high on C.J. Spiller. That is a great comfort, knowing you've got a great weapon like that."

-- Head Coach Dabo Swinney

NEWS

12.26.09 - What's Spiller's most impressive stat? Maybe that he's only the fifth player in ACC history with 3,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards. Or that he ranks third in NCAA history with 7,416 all-purpose yards. But the name of the game is scoring, so we'll take Spiller's 50 career touchdowns — 31 rushing, 11 receiving, seven on kick returns and one on a punt return. - Courier-Journal

12.25.09 - Last January, Spiller bolting for the NFL draft and a likely first-round selection seemed certain. But he leaned on a strong Christian faith, which led him to return, and, in turn, cement his place as one of Clemson’s all-time greats. Next fall, Clemson is expected to retire his No.28 jersey. Five years from now, Spiller is a sure bet for the Clemson University Hall of Fame, and two years after that, a likely inductee into the Ring of Honor, the highest honor a Clemson athlete can achieve. The last individual football player to enter the Ring was safety Terry Kinard, also a unanimous All-America in 1982. Spiller has 2,508 all-purpose yards, an ACC record, and needs 350 all-purpose yards Sunday to set the NCAA career record; he’s currently third with 7,416 yards. He has scored 20 touchdowns and accounted for touchdowns five different ways; rushing, receiving, kick returns, punt returns and passing. He needs one touchdown to become the school’s all-time leader and has nine touchdowns of 50 yards or more this season, 21 for his career. - Tigersxtra.com

12.06.09 - On a grand Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game stage, the senior tailback from Lake Butler, Fla., put Clemson teammates and coaches and fans on his back and ran and ran and kept running. Eventually, it all added up to a career-high 233 yards. Plus Heisman votes, legendary status, 'SportsCenter' highlights and very nearly the victory. Spiller's career-high four touchdowns did not account for enough points, mostly because he does not play defense. 'You never want to come up short when you play in these championship games,' Spiller said. 'They just made the plays they needed to make to win.' – The Post & Courier

10.30.09 - Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney recently weighed in on C.J. Spiller-for-Heisman talk by offering: “We always do honor roll on Mondays. We honor our players of the game and all our different awards that we give for that game. It just so happened that we had some guys get National honors this week and C.J. was one of them. We talked with the team about the fact that we should take pride in having a guy like that on our football team. Nobody has practiced harder, nobody has sacrificed more and nobody is more 'All In' than C.J. Spiller. This guy does it right on the field and off the field. He has been a leader and has given his teammates every ounce of what he has had all year long. He has been the first guy in the locker room to be an encourager. It is not about C.J. winning the Heisman it is about us being a great football team. We don't all have our head in the mud here either. This is a great kid and a special football player so we need to enjoy playing with a guy like that and they need to learn from a guy like that. I don't know what he is going to do the rest of the year, but if he doesn't play another snap this guy should to be in New York to me. He is what it's all about. I want some of these young guys to watch how he works. You want to know what a Heisman candidate looks like? You have one on your team. He is the kind of role model we should all be looking up to.

04.10.09 - The Clemson offensive line, which struggled to block anything in 2008, is drawing praise from head coach Dabo Swinney, creating hope that all five returners have made significant progress.

01.15.09 - At a press conference earlier this afternoon, C.J. Spiller announced that he will return for a senior season at Clemson. It was just three years that Spiller held Tiger fans in equal suspense as he decided whether or not to transfer to Florida.

01.12.09 - Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said that running back continues to go back and forth on whether or not to enter the NFL draft.

01.05.09 - Clemson junior running back C.J. Spiller is expected to sit down with head coach Dabo Swinney and discuss his NFL options.

12.31.08 - Despite only starting in one game in 2006, Spiller put up favorable numbers his freshman season. He rushed for 938 yards with 10 touchdowns, hauled in 19 passes for 210 yard with a pair of scores and had 267 yards returning punts and kickoffs. In 2007, he amassed 768 yards rushing with three touchdowns, added 271 yards receiving with two touchdowns and rolled up 678 yards returning punts and kickoffs with two touchdowns on kick returns. This season a hamstring injury and a banged up offensive line have slowed him, but Spiller has still produced for Clemson. He had 612 yards rushing with seven touchdowns, rolled up 430 yards receiving with three scores, 546 yards on returns with a kick return for a score and even thrown for a touchdown. Spiller has made it clear he plans to return next year but if he did exit early, he would be a first round selection.

10.22.08 - Clemson running back C.J. Spiller says he might pass on the NFL draft next spring if he can spend his senior year playing for coach Dabo Swinney. Swinney was named interim coach earlier this month after Tommy Bowden stepped down. Spiller told the Greenville News he would lean toward returning if Swinney is given the job permanently.

08.01.08 - Spiller has been the lightning to James Davis’ thunder over the past two seasons, compiling a 6.2 rushing average. A track standout at Clemson, Spiller has built a reputation for running sideline-to-sideline, rather than straight ahead. This type of running can be successful at the collegiate level, but rarely does it translate well into the pros. The Florida native has displayed solid hands and is the only player in school history with an 80-yard run and 80-yard catch in the same season. He projects as an all-purpose/third down back-type.

VITALS

Medical Examiner: Spiller suffered a hamstring injury midway through the 2008 season, but has only missed one game while at Clemson (Georgia Tech, 2008).

Honor Roll: Honorable Mention All-American (AP) by SI.com; First-Team All-ACC by AP; First-Team Academic All-ACC; First-Team Strength All-American.

High School: Majored in Sociology at Union County (FL) High School where he scored 93 touchdowns in his career.

Personal: C.J. Spiller has accounted for a touchdown at Clemson four different ways. He threw a touchdown pass on his first career attempt versus Virginia. Spiller has received All-American honors as a track star.

Factoid: Spiller wears 28 in honor of his childhood idle Warrick Dunn (Florida St.) and as a freshman his 7.3 yards per carry was the best single season per carry average since Dunn averaged 7.5 yards per rush in 1995.

School Bio