12. Donnell Woolford, Clemson, CB
Donnell Woolford was recruited to Clemson as a running back. He didn’t like the amount of competition he was facing in camp, so he just switched positions. It takes a special kind of football player to be able to just switch positions and excel, but what Woolford did was on an entirely different level.
Woolford moved to cornerback and eventually turned into one of the best cornerbacks in the country. He was a two-time All American and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. He’d win the thing, but he just happened to play at the same time a certain “Primetime” was playing at Florida State.
Clemson was also playing well as a team when Woolford was there. They won the ACC three times and won their bowl game each season. Clemson had two top-ten finishes in his final two seasons with the Tigers. Woolford came with individual and team success during his college football career.
Woolford was also a really good kick returner. He took two to the house in his final year in college.
He’s already been inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame for his contributions to the team. He deserves to make it into the big Hall of Fame for college football players. Moving to a new position and playing this well, especially going from running back to cornerback, deserves the ultimate recognition.