clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Dennis Clifford's Moment Of ACC Legend

Probably not what he wanted to be remembered for but it won't be the only thing.

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Feb 27, 2016; Chestnut Hill, MA, USA; Boston College Eagles center Dennis Clifford (24) and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets forward Charles Mitchell (0) battle for position on a rebound during the 1st half of the game at Silvio O. Conte Forum.
Feb 27, 2016; Chestnut Hill, MA, USA; Boston College Eagles center Dennis Clifford (24) and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets forward Charles Mitchell (0) battle for position on a rebound during the 1st half of the game at Silvio O. Conte Forum.
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

After the loss to Florida State, a reporter asked BC's Dennis Clifford what his best memory of playing at BC was. He puts his head to the table, gathers himself and says "going out to dinner."

If you're going to shop Amazon please start here and help DBR
Drop us a line at our new address

As Zac Al-Khateeb says over at The Sporting News, it was heartbreaking. Leave aside the fact that BC's season went so wrong that the team ate at a Chipotle's and almost all got sick right before a game. It was a tough year.

Still, none of us knows exactly what he meant. It could just be that he enjoyed the company of his teammates and that being with them was wonderful. We really can't know what was behind it.

We do know this though. That kid fought through a lot. He had injuries throughout his career and kept coming. He never gave up.

And this year, which was bleak by any standard, Clifford kept working.

If you define a career simply by wins and losses then fine, his has been lousy. BC has gone just 44-85 over the last four years.

However if you define it by effort, by heart, by getting up each day and doing your best when it would be a lot easier to give up, then there's no way to get around it: the guy is a winner. And he's probably going to be a winner for the rest of his life.