Clemson punter Spiers ‘blessed’ to be a part of Tigers’ playoff runs

NEW ORLEANS (WIS) - You generally hear the names of Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and Tanner Muse among others when it comes to the success of Clemson football over the last four years.

But one name you don’t hear very often is Will Spiers. Averaging just over 42 yards per attempt, Will has been quietly made his mark for the Tigers.

“The offense has done a great job and we haven’t had to punt that much this season,” Will said, “but [I’m] just always staying ready for my opportunity never knowing when I’m going to punt. You’ve just got to be ready.”

Will is a former quarterback for Calhoun Academy who joined the team as a walk-on for Clemson back in 2016. The redshirt junior and Cameron native understands that Clemson has him on the team for his leg, but according to his father and former Clemson two-sport Hall of Famer Bill Spiers, he’s still got a pretty decent arm.

“Let’s just say he can still throw it,” Bill said. “Even at practice, he throws it around a lot. He can still throw it if we need him to.”

Bill is a part of the Clemson coaching staff as the senior assistant for offense and special teams, which means he gets to spend even more time with his son throughout the season.

“It’s been unreal, man,” Bill said. “It’s funny. We walked in today. I said, ‘This is my fourth year and I think it’s, what, our third national championship.’ [These are] just opportunities that you have to cherish because they just don’t come up. These past three out of four years have been pretty cool and, to be with Will and my family, it’s just a dream come true because, like I said, it’s just a moment you cherish because who knows when the next one is coming.”

Will wasn’t a part of Clemson’s run to the championship game in 2016. In fact, he was preparing to graduate from Calhoun Academy. However, he was there to see the big game with his family. Looking back at that moment, Will is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the team’s success.

“It’s a blessing,” he said. “It’s a crazy opportunity. I’m just blessed to be a part of it. It’s really cool to get to share this experience with all of my teammates and coaches and everybody. It’s really cool.”

During this run that Clemson has been on, Will said his family and friends have been extremely supportive of him heading into the national title game.

“All of my family and friends back home, they always reach out to me and wish me luck and congratulate me and everything,” Will said. “It’s really special to go back home and talk with them.”

Now, Will and the Tigers look to make history and win Clemson’s 30th straight game and their back-to-back titles when they take on LSU on Monday.

“LSU’s an amazing team as everybody knows,” Will said. “They’re offense is incredible and they have a great defense. So for us, it’s just about playing our game and just sticking to our plan and just going out there and giving it all we’ve got and hoping we can come out victorious.”