Bob Gillespie

By his own admission, Danny Ford was never a kicking guru. But he knew others who were. In the summer of 1979, the then-Clemson assistant coach was sent over to watch the Tigers’ prospects camp, in particular a high school junior from Cheraw who was punting on the soccer field behind Fike Field House. With Ford was former Clemson great Fred Cone, who had punted in the NFL in the 1950s.

THERE'S A TWINKLE in Luther Stafford's sky-blue eyes and a smile on his lips as he lines up his putt on the practice green at Forest Lake Club. His weathered hands take back the putter and gently stroke it, and the ball glides 15 feet to nestle next to the cup.

Things were going to be different this time, Mark Calcavecchia says. No self-inflicted pressure. No feeling of failure, of letting down his teammates. No emotional meltdown.