DT Christian Wilkins of the Las Vegas Raiders on His Decision to Attend Clemson
Christian Wilkins, the Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive tackle, played four seasons for the Clemson Tigers. Before becoming an NFL defensive tackle, Christian Wilkins was a standout collegiate defensive lineman for the Clemson Tigers.
Wilkins had options for where to play collegiately, but the Tigers ultimately piqued his interest. Wilkins recently spoke on the “Third and Long” podcast and explained his desire to attend Clemson.
“It wasn’t because of these beautiful little NIL deals that these kids are getting now, or anything else, that they’re getting bags now. So it certainly wasn’t for that purpose. So, as I grew up, I became aware of Clemson in some way. A family friend grew up in South Carolina, so Clemson was at least on my radar; I recall hearing about Clemson and, of course, the thunder and lightning in the backfield from C.J. Spiller and James Davis.
“So now I remember them. I heard about them when I was a youngster, long before I realized college football was an option for me. So, Clemson was somewhat ingrained in my thoughts. But then, as I was going through the process as I grew older, I saw that Clemson was preaching a lot of the things I was seeking in a college.
“I wanted to grow spiritually, academically, socially, and, of course, athletically, and I thought that Clemson provided the finest opportunity to do so. Even traveling far from home, from Massachusetts to South Carolina. I felt completely at home; I felt like I could make the transition and have a good, solid career at Clemson, doing some good things.”
Wilkins won the William V. Campbell Trophy and was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy, the Outland Trophy, the Bednarik Trophy, the Lott Impact Trophy, the Lombardi Award, and the Senior CLASS Award in his last season with the Tigers. He was also a unanimous All-American. Wilkins helped Clemson to a perfect 15-0 season, including a national title victory over Alabama.