SYRACUSE - Jarvis Green’s first Clemson start came with the kind of payoff he’s been chasing for years.
A lifelong Tigers fan, Green finally got his chance on Saturday, and he made it count in a win that had his fingerprints all over it. For a player who has dealt with injuries and waited through years of uncertainty, the moment carried real weight.
“It means a lot, me being here,” Green said. “I’ve been hurt for the last couple of years not being available. Being able to go on the road, especially in a place like Syracuse, and being able to play and contribute to the win for Clemson means a lot.”
He wasted no time making an impact.
On the opening snap, Green ripped off a 53-yard run that helped set Clemson up for points on a day when scoring was hard to come by. It was the kind of burst he had been thinking about all week, even if the finish didn’t quite come together the way he wanted.
“I was definitely thinking about it the whole week, like I gotta bust one out for the first play,” Green said. “And then everybody was had it up perfectly, I just gotta finish that. Let’s score that one and break that one for a long one, because now people probably think I don’t have speed, but next time I’ll try to finish that one.”
Green’s day didn’t stop there. He finished with 85 yards on nine carries, showing the kind of patience and pop that gave Clemson’s offense important moments between the tackles.
Afterward, he was quick to point to the people around him. The offensive line, he said, set the tone, and his coach helped get him ready for the chance he’d been waiting on.
“I feel good to get my first start out of the way; it was great. I wanna thank the whole line for sure because they blocked their butts off today. I’m gonna give it to my coach; my coach prepared me the best for me to get out there and go prepare and show my talents off today,” Green said.
For Green, it was more than a productive afternoon. It was the kind of day he’s pictured since childhood, one that brought together the dream of wearing Clemson colors and the reality of finally getting to do it.
“It means a lot to me,” Green said. “Because as a kid from Irmo, South Carolina, just growing up and wanting to wear that ball and being able to do that today and present my talents to this program, it feels good.”
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