Why Clemson built 'Howard's Rock' with snow at Yankee Stadium for Pinstripe Bowl

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Clemson football brought a piece of home to the Bronx and took advantage of the very wintry conditions.

The Tigers (7-5) are playing Penn State (6-6) in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium, hours after just under five inches of snow draped New York City overnight.

Before each home game, Clemson players touch Howard’s Rock, which sits at the top of the hill in Memorial Stadium, before running down the hill onto the field.

The program posted a photo online before kickoff of the bowl game version, which appeared to be a chunk of snow formed together with a rock, dyed orange with a hand-written sign in front. It's located right where Clemson came out on the field.

The caption read "ready to give 110%" which is a nod to what the rock and pre-game tradition represents. ABC's broadcast said the last snow game Clemson played in was 2001 and there was a makeshift Howard's Rock then too.

What is Clemson football's Howard's Rock?

Former football coach Frank Howard was given the rock by a friend who found it in Death Valley, California, according to Clemson. The rock was placed at the top of the hill before a game on Sept. 24, 1966, and has been there ever since.

The players began rubbing the rock before each game during the 1967 season. Clemson's home stadium has been referred to as Death Valley since roughly 1945.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky‪@bylulukesin.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson has 'Howard's Rock' in snow in Yankee Stadium vs Penn State

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