Dual-sport athletes in the world’s two most famous footballs – American and European, where playing the two same time at any level is already a crazy feat in its own. Doing it first for one of the most prestigious CFB programs in 3x national champs Dabo Swinney‘s Clemson Tigers in America, and taking those talents next to one of Europe’s most respected soccer clubs? That sort of story belongs in a novel, not real life. There have been rugby players punting at the NFL, but never an American college football player at a European club scoring bangers.
Tanner Tessmann is living that sports folklore life now covered by global soccer media. Clemson fans still remember his name because his rise from FC Dallas academy prospect to scoring a first-touch game-winner in the Europa League for French side Olympique Lyonnais feels both surreal and bittersweet. Back in December 2020, Tessmann wasn’t supposed to be on European pitches. He had signed a national letter of intent to play both soccer and football for Clemson, pulling double duty as a midfielder for Mike Noonan’s powerhouse soccer squad and as a kicker for Dabo Swinney’s Tigers.
At six-foot-four, Tanner Tessmann had the frame of a football player, and though he never played the sport in high school, Dabo Swinney swore he had NFL-level talent. The connection was more than coach and recruit. Swinney is Tessmann’s godfather, and he’d seen firsthand the kid’s rare ability. “I watched him kick a 64-yarder and then he kicked a 52-yarder, left-footed, just for good measure,” Swinney recalled in an interview with ESPN. “That blew my mind… I’m telling you, he could go into an NFL training camp and compete.”
The plan sounded almost too good to be true. Tessmann would chase national titles on the pitch while booming kickoffs into the end zone on fall Saturdays. His scholarship would’ve even been counted as a football one, an NCAA loophole that gave Clemson’s soccer team the benefit of his services without having to burn one of its limited slots. For Swinney, it almost was a win-win.
But then came the curveball. Injuries in MLS opened a spot with FC Dallas, and the teenager suddenly had a decision to make. By February 2020, Tessmann signed his first professional contract, choosing to leap straight into MLS rather than wait around for a college debut. “That had been my dream since I was 14… when that goal came, it was a no-brainer,” he told ESPN at the time.
It was the kind of crossroads moment that reshaped not just his life but what Clemson football and soccer fans imagined their future could look like. Instead of splitting time between Death Valley and Riggs Field, Tessmann went all-in on soccer. His career quickly validated the choice. From Dallas, he moved on to Venezia in Italy, earning valuable minutes in Serie A before making another jump, to Lyon, where he’s now pulling off moments that make global headlines and will surely cement his place as starting midfielder for Mauricio Pochettino’s US men’s soccer team.
For Swinney, it remains a classic “what if.” The coach believed his godson could’ve been drilling 50-yard field goals in orange and white while chasing playoff glory.
Clemson roots still run deep for Tanner Tessmann
Even though Tanner Tessmann traded orange Saturdays for European nights, his Clemson ties haven’t faded one bit. His father, P.J. Tessmann, remains more than just part of the Swinney circle, he is Dabo’s longtime best friend and the director of the Dabo All-In Foundation. Their families are practically woven together, with Swinney even standing as best man at P.J.’s wedding.
So yes, when Tessmann chose the pro soccer route instead of joining the Tigers, there was disappointment. But it didn’t linger long. “We’re just so proud of him,” Swinney told ESPN. “I’ve seen more MLS than ever since he signed on, that’s for sure.”
That pride only grows as the godson takes the field for Lyon while the godfather’s Tigers grind through a shocking, rough 1-3 start ahead of an October 6 Week 6 clash with UNC. Tessmann, meanwhile, faces Lille in a big Ligue 1 matchup tomorrow.