SOUTH CAROLINA, USA — *EDITORIAL NOTE: The above video is from 2017 when Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers were honored at The White House after winning the 2016 CFP National Championship.*
Clemson University has renamed its John C. Calhoun Honors College to Clemson University Honors College after public pressure from many in the community, including former Clemson stars Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins, joined a petition to remove the name, according to CBS Sports.
The university has also restored Tillman Hall to its original name, Main Building (commonly known as "Old Main").
"Our Trustees' leadership today sends a clear message that Clemson University intends to be a place where all our students, employees and guests feel welcome," Clemson president Jim Clements said. "Our work in this area is far from finished, but we are committed to building on the progress we have made in the areas of diversity and inclusivity as we strive to serve our entire state and the nation."
Watson, who is currently the quarterback for the Houston Texans, wrote on his Twitter Saturday, "I would like to thank the Board of Trustees and everyone else involved for listening to the concerns of the current and former student body and implementing changes that will create a more welcoming environment for the entire tiger community."
Hopkins added to Watson's tweet by saying, "We making history."
The Change.org petition was created a week ago and it stated: "Clemson's Honors College was founded in 1962, but Calhoun's name was not added until 1981. To change the name of the college, therefore, is not to 'erase history'; rather, it is to acknowledge that our understanding of history has evolved. To maintain the name, on the other hand, is to convey Clemson University's continued indifference toward a history of institutional racism and state-sanctioned violence against Black life. South Carolina's Heritage Act says nothing about the names of academic programs. It was a choice to rename the Honors College in 1981, and it remains a choice now."
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Days after it was posted DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson took to their social media pages to share the petition with Hopkins adding on Instagram, "I felt this oppressive figure during my time at Clemson and purposely do not mention the University's name before NFL games because of it."
A South Carolina native and longtime politician of approximately 40 years, Calhoun served as the former vice president under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson from 1825-33. He was an "ardent believer in white supremacy" according to Clemson's own website, and owned roughly 70-80 slaves on his Fort Hill Plantation, where the campus is built.
Hopkins and Watson attended Clemson from 2010-12 and 2014-16, respectively, and are two of the best football players to ever suit up for the Tigers. They were teammates on the Houston Texans before Hopkins was traded to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason.