Clemson legend salutes award winners

December 4, 2012

Paying tribute to those who helped him rise from an underprivileged childhood to achieve excellence, former Clemson football great Jeff Davis told Upstate students at Monday night's Coaches 4 Character program that it takes education to succeed in life. But he said it also takes something more. 

"Education has been the reason that my life has changed, that my life has been transformed," said Davis, the captain of Clemson's 1981 national championship team. "But if I had to express one thing more important than education, it;s character. If you're going to be successful in life, you have to have some character. You're going to have to have some courage, some discipline, some fight, being kind -- all those things are important to your success." 

Davis seemed virtually as gripping with the young crowd at Redemption World Outreach Center Monday as he was as a linebacker who went to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He engaged members of the crowd, handed out Passionate About Winning T-shirts to fans of the Tigers and University of South Carolina Gamecocks, and elicited encouragement from teachers and parents.

He talked about growing up in the household that didn't have a car, about meeting his father for the first time at age 33, and about raising six children of his own. 

The Clemson Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor member also saluted winners of The Greenville News Character Awards. The honorees were DeVonte Blakely and Hannah Coles, eighth graders at Lakeview Middle School. 

Blakely is an A Honor Roll Student and Beta Club member who plays football at Greenville High and basketball and baseball at Lakeview. He also participates in organizations such as Save Our Sons and Men Who Matter, which are designed to foster leadership skills in young men. 

"His character stands above reproach," said Lakeview Athletic Director Bryan Little. "Students look up to him as an athlete but also as an extremely reputable person with the potential to accomplish all of his goals." 

Coles is an A Honor Roll Student and Beta Club member who serves as a member of Lakeview's Student Government Association. She also volunteers at her local food pantry and pitches in on community projects. 

"Hannah's strength and conviction as a student is an asset to Lakeview and her community," said Jeffery Dredge, an eighth grade history teacher at Lakeview." 

By: Michael Burns -- Greenville Online
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