Grady Sherrill has spent five years chasing the next opportunity, and now he’s in the middle of his final one.
The Clemson wide receiver wears No. 89 after stops at North Carolina and South Dakota, a path that has taken him from preferred walk-on to fifth-year transfer. For Sherrill, the road to this point started back home in Greensboro, N.C., where his senior year of high school didn’t bring a long list of offers.
“I'm from Greensboro, N.C. In high school, I didn't have a ton of offers during my senior year, outside of some smaller schools.
Towards the spring of my senior year, North Carolina offered a preferred walk-on spot, so I took it and went there. I was there for three years, graduated from UNC and then went to South Dakota last fall and played there for a season, and then transferred to Clemson for my last year.”
At Clemson, Sherrill says the difference has been immediate. He’s enjoyed each stop along the way, but he believes this program operates with a level of structure and expectation that stands out.
“I've enjoyed everywhere I've been, but I would say there's definitely a different type of culture here from an organizational standpoint. It's been a really cool program to be a part of so far.
From the top down, from Coach Swinney on, everyone is held to a certain standard. He talks about it all the time, being your best, and that's something that separates Clemson.”
August Camp gave him his first real taste of how fast things move with the Tigers. The pace took some adjustment, but Sherrill came away impressed.
“This camp was definitely tough. The pace of practice here is faster than I've had in the past, so it took a couple days to get acclimated to everything, but camp was great.”
For all the changes in schools and roles, one constant has stayed with him: family. His dad played football and coached him when he was younger, and his parents have remained a steady source of support through the entire journey.
“My dad played football and coached me when I was young. He’s been a huge part of my athletic career and it’s been great having him and my mom to talk to. They've been awesome throughout the whole process, and I always feel like I can call them and get support from them.”
Sherrill also understands what it means to wear Clemson’s jersey with the same walk-on mindset that helped shape one of the program’s most famous moments. In 2016, Hunter Renfrow caught the game-winning touchdown against Alabama in the national title game, and Sherrill remembers watching that as a teenager in Greensboro.
“Growing up, my favorite college player was Hunter Renfrow. Watching him play here and all the success that he had, I remember watching the national championship game when he caught the game-winning touchdown against Alabama.
It’s pretty cool being able to finish out my career for the same team. I also think about some of the smaller slot wide receivers, like Wes Welker.
He’s someone who I watched growing up that I've tried to model my game after.”
That connection to Clemson’s walk-on history means something to him, too. Sherrill sees the names on the wall in the receiver room and knows he’s stepping into a tradition that has mattered inside the program for a long time.
“The history means everything. Coach Swinney talked a lot about how former players should be proud of the way we play and practice.
When you walk in the receiver room and it's all the names and people on the wall, there have been so many great players, and a lot of them were walk-ons. It's definitely something that none of us take lightly.”
With his eligibility running out, Sherrill is approaching the season with a simple goal: make every day count.
“One thing that I'm trying to do this year is to have a good attitude about being here every day. The day-to-day can be hard with practices and meetings, but this is my last year, so I am going to make the most of it and enjoy everything and take nothing for granted.”
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