Clemson helmet Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Clemson Tigers have so much talent they’re exporting some of it to other schools. Specifically, one talent they might play in just a few weeks.

Harris Roberts wanted to do two things in his college career. He wanted to be an engineer and he wanted to be a quarterback. He received a scholarship offer to play for Furman University, but the school didn’t offer a full engineering degree. However, nearby Clemson University did offer an engineering degree but they weren’t high on him as their next great play-caller. That’s when, per The Greenville News, Roberts was smart enough to figure out how to keep both dreams alive anyway.

Roberts enrolled in a cooperative educational exchange program that let students play sports at one school while pursuing a degree at another. Turns out, he earned a bachelor’s degree in pre-engineering from Furman in three years and is currently earning his second bachelor’s from Clemson in mechanical engineering. In doing so, he was able to continue playing football for Furman while enrolled at Clemson, which means that when the Tigers host the Paladins on September 1, their defense will be lining up against a quarterback who might sit next to them in class.

“Once they figure out that I play football at Furman, they’re kind of shell-shocked,” Roberts said. “They just kind of think it’s funny that they’re going to class with someone who is going to play against them.”

According to Furman’s Sports Information Department, several student-athletes have been enrolled at Clemson and played for Furman, but this will be the first time one of them has actually played against Clemson while doing so.

Roberts still has to win the starting job in order to secure this curious distinction in the record books. After backing up All-SoCon quarterback P.J. Blazejowski last season, he finds himself in a battle for the top spot with redshirt freshman JeMar Lincoln.

Still, even if he can’t get the starting nod, Roberts had made the most of the opportunity given to him. Whereas the minimum grade point average to be in the dual-degree program is a 2.60, Roberts currently sports a 3.66 and has been named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll in each of the previous four seasons. “He’s not just been a good student. He’s been an exceptional student and an exceptional young man,” said Furman coach Clay Hendrix.

[Greenville News]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.