Timothy R. Clifford Sr. (November 28, 1958 – October 23, 2024) was an American college football player who was a quarterback for the Indiana Hoosiers from 1977 to 1980. He won the Big Ten Most Valuable Player in 1979.
| Indiana Hoosiers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 28, 1958 |
| Died: | October 23, 2024 (aged 65) |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Colerain (Cincinnati) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life
editClifford grew up in Cincinnati where he played football, basketball, baseball and track at Colerain High School.[1][2]
Indiana University
editClifford attended the Indiana University Bloomington where he played varsity football and baseball. He was a pitcher for the baseball team and played at the quarterback position for the school's football team from 1977 to 1980.[1][3] He became the school's all-time leader in passing yardage. In his four years at Indiana, Clifford completed 333 of 631 passes for 4,338 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions.[3]
As a junior, Clifford totaled 2,078 passing yards and led the 1979 Indiana Hoosiers football team to an 8–4 record and the program's first victory in a bowl game, a 38–37 victory over BYU in the 1979 Holiday Bowl.[4] In September 1978, he completed 11 passes for 345 yards and five touchdowns in a 49–7 victory over Colorado.[5] During the 1979 season, Clifford set Indiana single-season records in pass attempts (259), completions (149), passing yardage (1,907 in regular season games), and total offense (1,978 yards in regular season games).[1]
At the end of the 1979 season, he won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the most valuable player in the Big Ten Conference.[1] He was the first Hoosier to win the Silver Football since Corbett Davis in 1937.[1] Despite being selected as the conference MVP, Clifford did not receive first- or second-team honors from the Associated Press, as Art Schlichter and Mark Herrmann won those honors.[6]
Clifford was a team co-captain in both 1979 and 1980 and was selected as Indiana's team MVP in both of those years.[7] He led the East team to a 21–3 victory in the 1981 East–West Shrine Game and shared offensive most valuable player honors with Amos Lawrence.[8] Clifford also played in the Japan Bowl. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 10th round of the 1981 NFL draft.[9]
Later life and death
editClifford was inducted into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.[7] From 1999, he has was the business manager of St. Ann Church in Cincinnati.
Clifford died on October 23, 2024, at the age of 65.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Indiana's Clifford captures Silver Football". Chicago Tribune. December 25, 1979. p. 6-1.
- ^ Lonnie Wheeler (June 24, 1981). "The 'Timing' Has Come To Indiana's Clifford". The Cincinnati Enquirer. pp. D1, D4.
- ^ a b "Tim Clifford". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ "1979 Indiana Hoosiers Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ "Quarterback Tim Clifford tossed five touchdown passes on just". UPI. September 27, 1979.
- ^ "Blue lands four All-Big Ten spots: OSU places six, Purdue five". The Michigan Daily. November 29, 1979. p. 9.
- ^ a b "Tim Clifford". Indiana University. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ "IU's Clifford steals show in leading East victory". The Courier-Journal. January 11, 1981. p. C12.
- ^ "Sketches of the Bears' 1981 college draft choices". Chicago Tribune. April 30, 1981. p. 4-3.
- ^ Ankony, Jack (October 24, 2024). "Tim Clifford, Indiana Football's 1979 Big Ten MVP Quarterback, Dies At 65". Si. Retrieved October 24, 2024.