Clemson celebrated their victory over Alabama for the national title in 2016. The players danced and kissed the CFP trophy. Christian Wilkins, the defensive lineman, stole the spotlight after the game by performing two gymnastics moves that a 315-pound player wouldn’t typically do.
The star player of the Tigers is back to support his team as they aim for another playoff run, starting with the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl Classic sponsored by Goodyear on Saturday at 4 pm on ESPN. A two-minute oral history of this memorable moment has solidified Wilkins’ place in the school’s official biography.
Clemson’s Coach Dabo Swinney praised Christian’s athleticism, comparing his moves on the basketball court to those of Charles Barkley. Running back Adam Choice expressed his joy at the decision to celebrate and was surprised by Christian’s flexibility.
Wilkins explained that he did the splits to have fun and show his excitement after winning the national championship. Swinney, familiar with Christian’s acrobatics, jokingly mentioned being unfazed by it, having seen the split multiple times. Swinney first witnessed Christian’s flexibility when he joined as a freshman and was impressed, calling him a bit of a “freak.”
