Chad Clifton, a native of Martin, TN, was an all-around athlete at Westview High School, lettering four times in football and three times in basketball. In his senior football season, he was named an All-American by Parade and Scholastic Coach magazines. He was also honored as the Gatorade Circle of Champions “Player of the Year” and received the Tennessee Class 2-A “Mr. Football” lineman award.
In 1995, Clifton enrolled at the University of Tennessee and redshirted his first season. After that, he was a fixture on the offensive line—starting one season at right tackle and three seasons at left tackle. During these four years, the Tennessee Volunteers enjoyed great success with a 43-7 record and a win over Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl to claim the 1998 National Championship. Clifton was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection and a Sporting News second-team All-American as a senior.
Clifton was selected in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft and appeared in 165 games with 160 starts during his 12-year career with the Green Bay Packers. He ranks #2 in franchise history for most games played by an offensive tackle. In 2004, Clifton helped limit the opposition to a franchise-low 14 sacks, as the Packers did not allow a single sack in eight games, another single-season club record. Clifton was selected to the Pro Bowl twice during his career (2007 and 2010) and blocked for five of the top eight single-season rushers in franchise history. He played on eight playoff teams in Green Bay, highlighted by the 2010 squad that won Super Bowl XLV. In 2016, Clifton was selected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.