“There's something in these hills.” A famous line any Clemson fan will recognize, every fan knows it to be true. There aren't quite words to explain what is exactly in these hills, but whatever it is that's in these hills is something that cannot be recreated or replaced. There's no family like the Clemson family.

Growing up, I didn't know just how blessed I was to have been brought into such an incredible and loving family. As I've grown and seen the different types of communities that surround college football and the types of fans you will meet when you travel to different places, it's easy for me to see just how lucky I am. If you're a Clemson fan you know you can't help but bring a little tiger pride with you everywhere you go, whether that be sporting a bright orange shirt, letting a tiger tail hang from the trunk of your car, or bringing your tailgate tent to the beach for family vacation. If you're a Clemson fan, you're also not afraid to socialize! I think that's what makes us a little extra special. Whenever I've had the pleasure of meeting fellow Tigers outside of Clemson, SC, they are some of the nicest people I've met! It's always a nice little reminder of what an amazingly kind and friendly community I'm a part of.

Clemson wouldn't be such a tight-knit community without its dedication to preserving tradition. They don't say we have the most exciting 25 seconds in college football for nothing! There's something so incredibly special about the traditions we have at Clemson, it's hard for me to even put it into words. I've never felt anything like the feeling I get when I see the team run the rock/run down the hill while the band is playing tiger rag and 85,000 people are going just as crazy as I am. It creates a sense of unity that can't really be found anywhere else.

Families are there to support each other, right? Right! There's no other family I would have wanted to ride out the 2015 season with. Through many nail-biting finishes, rainy games, victories, losses, we all stood by each other. It's hard to celebrate the wins with people who aren't part of the family (trust me I've tried). This year I was fortunate enough to be able to watch the playoff game and the national championship with my biological family who are, of course, all Tigers! Those nights are some I'll never forget because I was able to spend them with my family cheering for our team. And even when we lost, the whole Clemson family felt the heartache and was there to pick each other back up again. Most importantly, the Clemson family stood by our team. As the boys returned home from Arizona, hundreds (maybe even 1,000) proud Tigers stood outside Death Valley on a cold winter night to let them know that we still love them, because you love your family no matter what.

Being a Clemson fan is so much more than being someone who watches the Tigers play on Saturdays. It's become one of the greatest families I've ever seen and am so blessed to be a member of. There's no family like the Clemson family.