From: ESPN
https://www.espn.com/college-football/rankings
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On my approach to the highway exit for Clemson U August 1970 (my 9th semester) and having driven all night from NJ, I saw huge orange paw prints on the exit pavement. Wow-immediately I knew the implication.
This is the story of the Paw:
The Paw began as an idea to set Clemson athletics apart from other schools that use the nickname “Tigers.”
In 1969, Clemson started to discuss changing the logo from the traditional tiger to something more original. A committee was formed to investigate and to direct the development of such a change. Members included Howard—the athletic director at the time, Assistant Athletic Director Bill McLellan, and Ingram, who some suggest was the driving force behind the shift to the Paw.
The committee enlisted the services of the Henderson Advertising Agency in Greenville, S.C., to come up with the design and complete the transition to a new logo. After discussing several options, it was decided that the Tiger Paw would be considered for the new logo. The agency turned the project over to creative designer and artist John Antonio in June of 1970 to begin the drafting process, which took several days.
Antonio contacted the Smithsonian Institute for a photo of a tiger’s paw and the National History Museum in Chicago, IL for a cast of a tiger paw. He used both items in forming his final version of the Clemson Tiger Paw.
When he was finished, Antonio presented the completed project to a group of athletic department personnel, who were largely receptive to the Tiger Paw design. Apparently, the key to the presentation of the project was Antonio showing the Tiger Paw on a football helmet. Howard thought it looked sharp and he was on board with the overall idea. Then the Paw was successfully pitched to Dr. R.C. Edwards, who was president of Clemson at the time, and it was also presented to the Board of Trustees.
Some of the intricacies of the Paw that contribute to its aura were implemented by design at the behest of Antonio. The 30-degree angle at which the official Paw sits is there to designate a 1:00 kickoff time for football games, which was a normal occurrence in those days. The indention at the bottom is due to a scar that the tiger who had been chosen as the subject for the logo had received before the cast was made.