The centerpiece of one of the more iconic traditions in college football was vandalized sometime last week. Howard's Rock, a rock that Clemson players rub before they run onto the field that has been part of the game day ritual since the 1960's, had a large chunk broken off of it on either June 2 or 3, according to ESPN.
Lt. Gary Leslie of the Clemson University Police Department discovered that vandals had been able to pry off the plastic cover protecting the rock and had chiseled off a chunk of the rock and taken it. Leslie estimated that the damage was worth about $500. Leslie was also able to obtain a partial fingerprint from the pedestal, according to ESPN.
Tim Bourret, the sports information director at Clemson, estimates that only about 15 percent of the rock is missing and that the tradition can continue.
"We will still have our tradition of rubbing the rock and running down the hill," Bourret said.
The rock, named after Hall of Fame coach Frank Howard, was given to Howard by his friend Samuel Jones. The rock was from Death Valley, Calif., and was given to Howard since the nickname for Clemson's stadium was Death Valley, according to USA Today.
The Rock was first unveiled before a contest against Virginia in 1966. Clemson was down by 18 late in the game but were able to come back to win 40-35, and a legend was born. A year later coach Howard famously told his players, "If you're going to give me 110 percent, you can rub that Rock. If you're not, keep your filthy hands off of it," according to ESPN.
The defacing of Howard's Rock occurred only a few days before Harvey Updyke was released from prison for poisoning and killing the trees at Auburn's famed Toomer's Corner. Updyke, a rabid Alabama fan, was furious after Auburn defeated the Crimson Tide in 2010 so he poisoned the oak trees that would traditionally get covered in toilet paper following Auburn victories. Updyke was caught because he bragged about his feat on the Paul Finebaum radio show, according to Yahoo.
Clemson officials are going to take steps to make sure that Howard's Rock is never vandalized again, reports ESPN.
"We are in the process of making some changes to make it more secure," Bourret said. "We're looking at installing some cameras and things of that nature, looking into an alarm system."
