Clemson Football: Shelton Lewis named ACC Rookie of the Week

Shelton Lewis was one of four freshman defensive backs to record an interception against Georgia Tech.

CLEMSON, S.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that cornerback Shelton Lewis has been named ACC Rookie of the Week for his performance in Clemson’s 42-21 win against Georgia Tech at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

Lewis’ selection represents Clemson’s ninth ACC weekly honor this season. In total, Clemson has garnered 574 ACC weekly honors since 1968.

Shelton Lewis returns an interception against Georgia Tech / Clemson Athletics

The honor is the first of Lewis’ career. It is Clemson’s third Rookie of the Week selection this season, joining Tyler Brown’s accolades following performances against Florida Atlantic and Syracuse. Lewis joins defensive end Myles Murphy (at Virginia Tech in 2020) as the only Clemson defensive players since 2000 to earn an ACC Rookie of the Week selection. Clemson has now had 16 different players record a total of 30 ACC Rookie of the Week selections during Dabo Swinney’s head coaching tenure.

Lewis made his first career start on Saturday and seized the opportunity, recording four pass breakups and his first career interception, which he returned 46 yards for a touchdown. The pick-six was Clemson’s single-season-record-tying fourth of the season. Lewis’ four pass breakups were also one shy of the school single-game record of five set by Perry Williams against Virginia Tech in 1985 and represented the first four-breakup day by a Clemson player since Mario Goodrich at Syracuse in 2021.

Lewis faced stiff competition from his own teammates for this week’s honor, as Clemson’s freshmen shined in the team’s victory against Georgia Tech. True freshmen Avieon Terrell and Khalil Barnes and redshirt freshman Kylon Griffin each added an interception as well, making Clemson the first FBS team since at least 2000 to have four different freshmen record an interception in a single game, according to Stats Perform. Lewis was also one of three freshmen to score a touchdown on Saturday, joining Brown and redshirt freshman tight end Josh Sapp.