Fun Bunch Hall of Fame Memebers
Clemson Legends: Hall of Fame Swimmer Neil Brophy and Diver Cappy Craig
Clemson University’s swimming and diving program reached new heights in the early 1980s thanks to two extraordinary athletes: Neil Brophy and Cappy Craig. Both are members of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame and left an indelible mark on the Tigers’ record books and history. Brophy, a dominant distance swimmer from 1979–1983, and Craig, a trailblazing diver from 1977–1982, amassed conference titles, All-America honors, and firsts for the Clemson program. Below, we revisit their collegiate careers, key accomplishments, and lasting legacy within Clemson swimming and diving, complete with historical context and accolades.
Neil Brophy – Clemson’s Record-Setting Swimmer (1979–1983)
Neil Brophy was a standout freestyle swimmer for Clemson in the late 1970s and early 1980s, specializing in middle-distance and distance events. As a junior and senior, Brophy put together one of the most impressive streaks in Clemson swimming history. At the 1982 ACC Championships, he captured conference titles in both the 500-yard freestyle and the 1650-yard freestyleclemsontigers.com. He followed that by sweeping three individual golds at the 1983 ACC meet, winning the 200, 500, and 1650 freestyle racesclemsontigers.com. Brophy’s triple victory in 1983 was a rare feat in Clemson lore, showcasing his versatility and endurance; it solidified him as the top distance swimmer in the conference that year. (In fact, he was one of only three Clemson male swimmers ever named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team in 2002, an honor commemorating the conference’s all-time greatsclemsontigers.com.)
Brophy also made his mark nationally. In 1982 he earned All-America honors in the 800-yard freestyle (relay) during the NCAA seasonclemsontigers.com. He qualified to compete at the NCAA Championships and posted performances that ranked among the nation’s best, contributing to Clemson’s growing presence on the collegiate swimming stage. His lifetime-best times in the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle remained in Clemson’s all-time top 10 for many yearsclemsontigers.com, reflecting his enduring place in the Tiger record books. By the time he graduated, Brophy had helped lead the men’s team to a 3rd-place ACC finish and had set a standard for excellence in distance freestyle. For his achievements, Brophy was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011clemsontigers.com. He was also selected as one of Clemson’s representatives on the ACC’s 50th-Anniversary Swimming & Diving Team in 2002 – a testament to his status as one of the greatest swimmers in school historyclemsontigers.com. Brophy’s legacy is that of a champion and record-setter who propelled Clemson men’s swimming onto the ACC’s elite level, and his Hall of Fame enshrinement ensures his contributions will not be forgottenclemsontigers.com.
Cappy Craig – Trailblazer in Clemson Diving (1977–1982)
A Clemson diver in the early 1980s executing a dive. Cappy Craig won both the 1-meter and 3-meter ACC diving titles in 1982, becoming Clemson’s first female ACC champion and first women’s swimming All-Americanclemsontigers.comclemsontigers.com.
Cappy “Cappy” Craig pioneered Clemson’s women’s diving program with her remarkable achievements in the 1981–82 season. As a fifth-year senior in 1982, Craig swept the ACC diving championships, winning gold on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boardsclemsontigers.com. In doing so, she earned the distinction of being the first Clemson woman ever to win an ACC title in swimming or divingclemsontigers.com. (Previously, no female Clemson athlete had captured an ACC individual championship in any event.) Craig’s dominance on the boards that year did not end at the conference level. She went on to make history at the inaugural NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in 1982, where she achieved All-America honors in both diving eventsclemsontigers.com. Craig placed 4th in the nation on the one-meter springboard and 7th on the three-meter at NCAAsclemsontigers.com, making her Clemson’s first NCAA All-American in women’s swimming and diving. In fact, her top-8 finishes meant Cappy Craig became the first NCAA Championship All-American in any sport for Clemson Universityclemson.world – a groundbreaking accomplishment at a time when women’s collegiate athletics were newly under the NCAA umbrella.
Craig’s performance also lifted the Clemson women’s team to new heights. The Lady Tigers finished 18th in the team standings at the 1982 NCAA Championships, which was Clemson’s first-ever top-20 finish in any women’s sport at a national championshipclemsontigers.com. This milestone underscored the broader impact of her success: Craig put Clemson’s women’s swimming and diving on the national map. She was a two-time All-American in 1982 (one-meter and three-meter) and Clemson’s first female All-American swimmer/diver, as noted in the Clemson Athletic Department’s hall of fame announcementclemsontigers.com. Her achievements opened the door for future Clemson women’s swimmers and divers to compete – and excel – at the highest levels. For her trailblazing career, Cappy Craig was inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 classiptaycuad.com. At her induction, she was celebrated for being Clemson’s first ACC champion and first women’s swimming All-American, truly a groundbreaker for the programclemsontigers.com. Craig’s legacy as a Clemson Hall of Famer and a conference and national pioneer remains a point of pride in the university’s athletic history.
Both Neil Brophy and Cappy Craig left an enduring legacy at Clemson. Their names are etched in the Clemson record books and honored in the Hall of Fame, serving as an inspiration for future generations of Tigers. In an era when Clemson’s swimming and diving programs were building their reputation, Brophy and Craig stood out as all-time greats – one dominating in the freestyle lanes, the other on the diving boards. Through their ACC titles, All-American honors, and historic firsts, they helped put Clemson on the map in collegiate aquatics. It’s fitting that today their accomplishments are preserved and celebrated, reminding us of a golden age of Clemson swimming and diving and the individuals who made it possible
