Hall of Fame Profiles: Tyson Clabo
2/7/2019 11:20:00 AM | Football
Among the seven inductees in the 2018-19 class of the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, none enjoyed a longer professional playing career in a team sport than Tyson Clabo. An offensive lineman, Clabo signed with the Demon Deacons in 2000 and was able to get on the field immediately when injuries depleted the offensive line. He made his first career start against Virginia in 2000 and would go on to start every game over his final three seasons. Clabo started all 11 games in 2001 at left tackle and spent the 2002 season at left guard. His versatility and outstanding athletic ability allowed the staff to play him at left guard, left tackle and right tackle during his senior season in 2003.
At 6-7 and 300 pounds, Clabo's athletic ability allowed him to average a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds per game at Knoxville's Admiral Farragut High School. That ability would serve him well at the college level. An honorable mention all-ACC selection in 2002 as a junior, he earned first team All-ACC honors in 2003. Wake Forest, behind Clabo and an outstanding offensive line, led the ACC in rushing each season from 2001 through 2003.
"I think the first time I thought I could play football in college was when I got my first letter from a school saying they were interested in recruiting me," recalled Clabo. "I guess I was 15. Then you start thinking 'maybe I could (play in college).' You think you're really good and you get to college and you realize you've got a lot to learn. I'm sure all these high school kids think they're really great then they get there and it's just like 'holy cow'. Or you walk out (on the field) and go to practice for the first time . . . When I was there it was Nate Bolling and Calvin Pace and they were giving me the business every day. Calvin was obviously an amazing player, first round draft pick, played in the league longer than I did. You learn really quickly that you'd better get a lot better real fast or you'll be watching from the sideline."
That he wound up at Wake Forest in the first place was a surprise to many. His father, Phil, had played football at Tennessee as did his uncle, Neil Clabo, who went on to punt for the Minnesota Vikings.
"I always liked Wake from the beginning," said Tyson. "Mel Foels was the linebacker coach on Coach (Jim) Caldwell's staff. He recruited me for the most part. Got me to come over, meet Coach Caldwell, meet the offensive line coach, Eddie Williamson. At the time, our facilities were terrible. It's unbelievable what has happened. Even when I was there we got the new locker room, they put the new meeting rooms upstairs. That was a huge upgrade. It definitely wasn't the facilities that lured me to the school (at the time). The campus, the atmosphere, all those things are what won me over. It really wasn't a difficult decision for me."
After playing as a true freshman, Clabo had to endure the coaching change from Jim Caldwell to Jim Grobe. A transition that was not easy at the time for those on the field.
"It was hard. Coach Grobe about ran us to death," said Clabo. "It was not easy. He obviously had an agenda and it was to find out who really wanted to be at Wake. Some guys didn't make it through that. It was more probably addition by subtraction. He obviously knew what he was doing, he's a very good football coach, very successful. And I couldn't think of anyone better to replace Coach Caldwell. I hated to see Coach Caldwell go. He was an amazing guy, an amazing coach and had a lot of success after his tenure at Wake. Coach Grobe was a great football coach but an even better human being."
Among his two fondest memories of his playing days at Wake Forest are a 32-31 come-from-behind win at North Carolina, a game in which the Deacons trailed 24-0. The other is the 45-17 win over Clemson in 2003 at BB&T Field.
"We beat the crud out of Clemson," said Clabo. "I have a picture of the scoreboard somewhere. Those were two big moments."
After playing in the East-West Shrine all-star game following his senior season, it was time for the NFL Draft. Clabo was waiting for a call that never came.
"I thought I would be (drafted)," said Clabo. "I saw a lot of names go across the screen that I thought I was comparable to. But you never know why or what about all that stuff. It's just one of those things. They spend millions of dollars a year in scouting and they don't always get it right and they never will get it right. It's a flawed science. I would say it was probably a really good thing for me, it helped me develop."
Tyson's professional journey began as a free agent signee with the Denver Broncos.
"Once I got to camp, it was very eye-opening to see how good these guys were, how professional they were, how they handled their business, the way they studied," said Clabo. "When I was in Denver, Tom Nalen was the center, a future Hall of Famer. (Guard) Dan Neil is a future Hall of Famer. There were all these guys there that were just professionals and I was just happy to see how they worked, how they operated and just how much I had to learn and to grow in order to be successful."
After being waived by the Broncos, Clabo spent time with the Giants and Chargers before re-joining the Broncos who sent him to play for the Hamburg Sea Devils in NFL Europe. Immediately following his European gig, Clabo was signed by the Falcons and spent the next eight seasons in Atlanta.
"When I got to Denver I realized just how far away I was from being able to compete and play at that level," said Clabo. "After you get the crap kicked out of you for a few months you realize you had better adapt and improve pretty quickly or you won't be employed very long. Not getting drafted, being a free agent, ending up in Europe, doing all that stuff, was really important for me as far as my development as a player. If I had gotten drafted, and kind of gotten babied a little bit, and pampered, it might not have happened the same way."
His run in Atlanta encompassed seven of the greatest seasons in franchise history. After enduring Bobby Petrino's short stint with the Falcons in 2007, Atlanta hired Mike Smith as head coach for the 2008 season and drafted Boston College's Matt Ryan in the first round. From 2008 through 2012, the Falcons twice won the NFC South and finished second three times, making four playoff runs.
"When I was in Atlanta we had a run of the greatest four or five seasons in Falcons' history," said Clabo. "We were really good, we had an amazing locker room, an amazing group of guys. There's nothing better than being in a locker room full of professionals who all have the same goals, who all get along, nobody cares about who gets the ball, nobody cares who gets the credit. It was an incredible run when Coach Smith got there. Matt (Ryan) and Coach Smith got there at the same time. Matt is an incredible quarterback. We had an incredible offensive line room. Some of the best guys you'll ever be around. I couldn't ask for a better place to play or a better group of men to play with. I was very fortunate to end up in that situation."
Clabo was named to the Pro Bowl in 2010 after the Falcons had gone 13-3 and won the NFC South. He would play his final two seasons with Miami in 2013 and Houston in 2014 but retiring. Which turned out to be a blessing. Clabo left the game not only in good spririts but in good health.
"I'm thrilled with (my retirement). I feel like a million bucks.
"The best thing about being done with football is that I left football on my terms as opposed to a lot of people who leave football when they tell you you're done," said Clabo. "I felt I wasn't as competitive as I was or should be and it was time for me to walk away. We made our home in Mount Airy which is a fabulous place to live. Really close to campus. We should be there more often but we're so darn busy with kids and games and school and plays and performances and everything else we don't get there as often as we should."
Despite being just 37 years old and retired, Clabo remains busy as a husband and father of four along with running a farm in Mount Airy with 100 head of cattle. He and his wife, Kendra, are parents to 12-year old Alissa, 11-year old Ethan, soon-to-be seven-year old Cameron and three-year old Madison.
Kendra and Tyson's courtship was not exactly a textbook romance at the beginning.
"We met when we were in college but we didn't get married until seven years later," said Tyson. "It was a whirlwind. We met the summer before my senior year then she went to Europe to study for a semester of her senior year. Then when she got back, I left to go prepare for the combine. Then I moved to Denver, then I moved to Europe, then I moved back to Denver, then I went to Atlanta. There were a lot of moving parts there."
And for all of his success on the field, Tyson is quick to credit Kendra for the massive role she has played in their family's success.
"She has been instrumental in most of this," said Tyson. "There isn't anybody in the world that I can think of that would have helped me stay grounded, and stay focused on what's important. She helps me always understand that when I had to go and I had to work, to never question that or ever complain about having to stay home. She was always supportive, always there, always a part of it, always instrumental in the whole process. To be as patient as she was with a knucklehead like me, speaks a lot and obviously I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am if she hadn't come along."
Kendra's support, along with that of his parents, Phil and Leslie, have provided needed guidance to Tyson.
"I can't say enough about the work they put in to raise me and get me ready for life," said Tyson.
Also instrumental in Clabo's development, both personally and professionally, were his Wake Forest teammates, a number of whom are expected to be in attendance at the Hall of Fame dinner on Friday, February 15 and the induction ceremony at halftime of the Wake Forest-North Carolina basketball game at noon on Saturday, February 16. Among the teammates he is hoping to see are fellow offensive linemates Vince Azzolini, Marcus Kisner, Mike Moosbrugger, Jonathan Helms and former roommate Brian Woychik.
And his Hall of Fame induction came as somewhat of a surprise.
"It's obviously a huge honor," said Tyson. "In 2000 when I was coming to Wake Forest, it was the farthest thing from my mind. I didn't for a second think I would be a Hall of Fame caliber player or person. I was just a young kid walking into something and I had no idea what I was doing. The fact that my time at Wake, my experiences there, helped me to develop into that type of player, that type of person, I'm very grateful to the University. I'm thankful to Coach Caldwell, Coach Grobe, Ron Wellman, Bonnie Rae. Anybody that had any hand in helping me make it through, going to class, (and) passing. (Academic advisors) Elizabeth Miller, Tom Kleinlein, all these people that made sure I got to throw my hat up in the air and walk across the stage. I'm extremely thankful for them and just really humbled and honored that this happened."
As for those in attendance at his induction ceremony, Tyson is tremendously grateful.
"With kids, having jobs, it's hard to get away for the weekend," he said. "There's a few guys who will be there Friday night with me and my family. Having kids and all this stuff to do, you really appreciate how difficult it is for people to come, travel long distances, take a weekend and come and be with you at something like this. I realize how much work it is to come. I'm just really appreciative of them."
And the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame is most appreciative of its newest member, Tyson Clabo.
**
A limited number of $60 tickets are available for sale to the general public for the Hall of Fame dinner on Friday, February 15. Contact Amy Fleet at fleetac@wfu.edu to reserve a ticket.
At 6-7 and 300 pounds, Clabo's athletic ability allowed him to average a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds per game at Knoxville's Admiral Farragut High School. That ability would serve him well at the college level. An honorable mention all-ACC selection in 2002 as a junior, he earned first team All-ACC honors in 2003. Wake Forest, behind Clabo and an outstanding offensive line, led the ACC in rushing each season from 2001 through 2003.
"I think the first time I thought I could play football in college was when I got my first letter from a school saying they were interested in recruiting me," recalled Clabo. "I guess I was 15. Then you start thinking 'maybe I could (play in college).' You think you're really good and you get to college and you realize you've got a lot to learn. I'm sure all these high school kids think they're really great then they get there and it's just like 'holy cow'. Or you walk out (on the field) and go to practice for the first time . . . When I was there it was Nate Bolling and Calvin Pace and they were giving me the business every day. Calvin was obviously an amazing player, first round draft pick, played in the league longer than I did. You learn really quickly that you'd better get a lot better real fast or you'll be watching from the sideline."
That he wound up at Wake Forest in the first place was a surprise to many. His father, Phil, had played football at Tennessee as did his uncle, Neil Clabo, who went on to punt for the Minnesota Vikings.
"I always liked Wake from the beginning," said Tyson. "Mel Foels was the linebacker coach on Coach (Jim) Caldwell's staff. He recruited me for the most part. Got me to come over, meet Coach Caldwell, meet the offensive line coach, Eddie Williamson. At the time, our facilities were terrible. It's unbelievable what has happened. Even when I was there we got the new locker room, they put the new meeting rooms upstairs. That was a huge upgrade. It definitely wasn't the facilities that lured me to the school (at the time). The campus, the atmosphere, all those things are what won me over. It really wasn't a difficult decision for me."
After playing as a true freshman, Clabo had to endure the coaching change from Jim Caldwell to Jim Grobe. A transition that was not easy at the time for those on the field.
"It was hard. Coach Grobe about ran us to death," said Clabo. "It was not easy. He obviously had an agenda and it was to find out who really wanted to be at Wake. Some guys didn't make it through that. It was more probably addition by subtraction. He obviously knew what he was doing, he's a very good football coach, very successful. And I couldn't think of anyone better to replace Coach Caldwell. I hated to see Coach Caldwell go. He was an amazing guy, an amazing coach and had a lot of success after his tenure at Wake. Coach Grobe was a great football coach but an even better human being."
Among his two fondest memories of his playing days at Wake Forest are a 32-31 come-from-behind win at North Carolina, a game in which the Deacons trailed 24-0. The other is the 45-17 win over Clemson in 2003 at BB&T Field.
"We beat the crud out of Clemson," said Clabo. "I have a picture of the scoreboard somewhere. Those were two big moments."
After playing in the East-West Shrine all-star game following his senior season, it was time for the NFL Draft. Clabo was waiting for a call that never came.
"I thought I would be (drafted)," said Clabo. "I saw a lot of names go across the screen that I thought I was comparable to. But you never know why or what about all that stuff. It's just one of those things. They spend millions of dollars a year in scouting and they don't always get it right and they never will get it right. It's a flawed science. I would say it was probably a really good thing for me, it helped me develop."
Tyson's professional journey began as a free agent signee with the Denver Broncos.
"Once I got to camp, it was very eye-opening to see how good these guys were, how professional they were, how they handled their business, the way they studied," said Clabo. "When I was in Denver, Tom Nalen was the center, a future Hall of Famer. (Guard) Dan Neil is a future Hall of Famer. There were all these guys there that were just professionals and I was just happy to see how they worked, how they operated and just how much I had to learn and to grow in order to be successful."
After being waived by the Broncos, Clabo spent time with the Giants and Chargers before re-joining the Broncos who sent him to play for the Hamburg Sea Devils in NFL Europe. Immediately following his European gig, Clabo was signed by the Falcons and spent the next eight seasons in Atlanta.
"When I got to Denver I realized just how far away I was from being able to compete and play at that level," said Clabo. "After you get the crap kicked out of you for a few months you realize you had better adapt and improve pretty quickly or you won't be employed very long. Not getting drafted, being a free agent, ending up in Europe, doing all that stuff, was really important for me as far as my development as a player. If I had gotten drafted, and kind of gotten babied a little bit, and pampered, it might not have happened the same way."
His run in Atlanta encompassed seven of the greatest seasons in franchise history. After enduring Bobby Petrino's short stint with the Falcons in 2007, Atlanta hired Mike Smith as head coach for the 2008 season and drafted Boston College's Matt Ryan in the first round. From 2008 through 2012, the Falcons twice won the NFC South and finished second three times, making four playoff runs.
"When I was in Atlanta we had a run of the greatest four or five seasons in Falcons' history," said Clabo. "We were really good, we had an amazing locker room, an amazing group of guys. There's nothing better than being in a locker room full of professionals who all have the same goals, who all get along, nobody cares about who gets the ball, nobody cares who gets the credit. It was an incredible run when Coach Smith got there. Matt (Ryan) and Coach Smith got there at the same time. Matt is an incredible quarterback. We had an incredible offensive line room. Some of the best guys you'll ever be around. I couldn't ask for a better place to play or a better group of men to play with. I was very fortunate to end up in that situation."
Clabo was named to the Pro Bowl in 2010 after the Falcons had gone 13-3 and won the NFC South. He would play his final two seasons with Miami in 2013 and Houston in 2014 but retiring. Which turned out to be a blessing. Clabo left the game not only in good spririts but in good health.
"I'm thrilled with (my retirement). I feel like a million bucks.
"The best thing about being done with football is that I left football on my terms as opposed to a lot of people who leave football when they tell you you're done," said Clabo. "I felt I wasn't as competitive as I was or should be and it was time for me to walk away. We made our home in Mount Airy which is a fabulous place to live. Really close to campus. We should be there more often but we're so darn busy with kids and games and school and plays and performances and everything else we don't get there as often as we should."
Despite being just 37 years old and retired, Clabo remains busy as a husband and father of four along with running a farm in Mount Airy with 100 head of cattle. He and his wife, Kendra, are parents to 12-year old Alissa, 11-year old Ethan, soon-to-be seven-year old Cameron and three-year old Madison.
Kendra and Tyson's courtship was not exactly a textbook romance at the beginning.
"We met when we were in college but we didn't get married until seven years later," said Tyson. "It was a whirlwind. We met the summer before my senior year then she went to Europe to study for a semester of her senior year. Then when she got back, I left to go prepare for the combine. Then I moved to Denver, then I moved to Europe, then I moved back to Denver, then I went to Atlanta. There were a lot of moving parts there."
And for all of his success on the field, Tyson is quick to credit Kendra for the massive role she has played in their family's success.
"She has been instrumental in most of this," said Tyson. "There isn't anybody in the world that I can think of that would have helped me stay grounded, and stay focused on what's important. She helps me always understand that when I had to go and I had to work, to never question that or ever complain about having to stay home. She was always supportive, always there, always a part of it, always instrumental in the whole process. To be as patient as she was with a knucklehead like me, speaks a lot and obviously I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am if she hadn't come along."
Kendra's support, along with that of his parents, Phil and Leslie, have provided needed guidance to Tyson.
"I can't say enough about the work they put in to raise me and get me ready for life," said Tyson.
Also instrumental in Clabo's development, both personally and professionally, were his Wake Forest teammates, a number of whom are expected to be in attendance at the Hall of Fame dinner on Friday, February 15 and the induction ceremony at halftime of the Wake Forest-North Carolina basketball game at noon on Saturday, February 16. Among the teammates he is hoping to see are fellow offensive linemates Vince Azzolini, Marcus Kisner, Mike Moosbrugger, Jonathan Helms and former roommate Brian Woychik.
And his Hall of Fame induction came as somewhat of a surprise.
"It's obviously a huge honor," said Tyson. "In 2000 when I was coming to Wake Forest, it was the farthest thing from my mind. I didn't for a second think I would be a Hall of Fame caliber player or person. I was just a young kid walking into something and I had no idea what I was doing. The fact that my time at Wake, my experiences there, helped me to develop into that type of player, that type of person, I'm very grateful to the University. I'm thankful to Coach Caldwell, Coach Grobe, Ron Wellman, Bonnie Rae. Anybody that had any hand in helping me make it through, going to class, (and) passing. (Academic advisors) Elizabeth Miller, Tom Kleinlein, all these people that made sure I got to throw my hat up in the air and walk across the stage. I'm extremely thankful for them and just really humbled and honored that this happened."
As for those in attendance at his induction ceremony, Tyson is tremendously grateful.
"With kids, having jobs, it's hard to get away for the weekend," he said. "There's a few guys who will be there Friday night with me and my family. Having kids and all this stuff to do, you really appreciate how difficult it is for people to come, travel long distances, take a weekend and come and be with you at something like this. I realize how much work it is to come. I'm just really appreciative of them."
And the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame is most appreciative of its newest member, Tyson Clabo.
**
A limited number of $60 tickets are available for sale to the general public for the Hall of Fame dinner on Friday, February 15. Contact Amy Fleet at fleetac@wfu.edu to reserve a ticket.
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