Former Clemson standout Grady Jarrett named honorary captain for Chick-fil-A Kickoff game

Jarrett was a Clemson fan favorite during his collegiate years

by Press Release - Fri Aug 26 10:31:21 GMT-04:00 2022

ATLANTA (Aug. 26, 2022) - Officials today announced that Grady Jarrett and Keith Brooking will be honorary captains for their respective alma maters at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Clemson and Georgia Tech. The honorary captains will join the team captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss prior to the 8 p.m. ET kickoff on Sept. 5 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Representing the Clemson Tigers as an honorary captain will be Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett, who played under head coach Dabo Swinney from 2011-14. After starting all 13 games during his senior season, he totaled 73 tackles and 1.5 sacks, which earned him First Team All-ACC honors. The Falcons selected the Atlanta native in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, where he has totaled 359 tackles, 26.5 sacks and five forced fumbles over his seven year career.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets honorary captain will be Georgia native and former NFL middle linebacker Keith Brooking. After finishing his college career with 34 consecutive starts, Brooking became the leading tackler in Georgia Tech history with 467 career tackles. He was selected with the 12th overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons in the 1998 draft and spent 10 seasons with the team, earning Second-Team All-Pro honors twice in 2002 and 2004. Over 161 games, he recorded 1,133 tackles, 44 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. Brooking then spent two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, before finishing his professional career with the Denver Broncos in 2012.

The 19th edition of the nation’s longest-running kickoff game will feature two members from the same conference for the first time in the event’s history when Clemson and Georgia Tech face off. This will be Clemson’s third appearance in the game, after facing Alabama in the inaugural Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in 2008 and then defeating Auburn 26-19 in 2012. Georgia Tech will play in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game for the second time after previously facing Tennessee in 2017. The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series vs. Clemson 50-34-2, but the Tigers have won the last seven contests, including a 14-8 victory last season.