Just days before his former IU football head coach is set to return to campus, former Hoosiers quarterback Tim Clifford has passed away according to the IU Football X account.
The IU Hall of Famer died Wednesday and was 65 years old.
Clifford won the Big Ten’s Most Valuable Player award in 1979 after leading Indiana to an 8-4 record, a solid fourth-place finish in the Big Ten, final national poll rankings in the Top 20 and the school’s first-ever bowl win, an exciting 38-37 triumph over BYU in the Holiday Bowl. He completed nearly 56 percent of his passes for 2,078 yards and 13 touchdowns that season.
Playing under Lee Corso at Indiana, Clifford won football letters in 1978, 1979, and 1980 and was an IU co-captain and MVP in both 1979 and 1980. Corso will be in Bloomington this weekend for College Gameday, and several of his former players are expected in Bloomington.
Clifford ranks 10th in IU career passing yards after holding the record at one time, and he ranks 9th in career passing touchdowns. He held the NCAA record for highest quarterback rating for a game.
Clifford also lettered in baseball for IU in 1978, 1979, and 1980.
Clifford was drafted in 1981 by the Chicago Bears. He most recently lived in Ohio and worked at St. Ann’s Church in Cincinnati according to his LinkedIn page.
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