Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins Petition for Clemson to Rename Honors College

Former Clemson Tigers wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and quarterback Deshaun Watson want their alma mater to distance itself from slave owner John C. Calhoun.

Hopkins and Watson tweeted they are joining students and faculty members who are using a petition to call on Clemson to remove Calhoun's name from its buildings, signs and more:

"Clemson's Honors College was founded in 1962, but Calhoun's name was not added until 1981," the petition reads. "To change the name of the college, therefore, is not to 'erase history'; rather, it is to acknowledge that our understanding of history has evolved. To maintain the name, on the other hand, is to convey Clemson University's continued indifference toward a history of institutional racism and state-sanctioned violence against Black life."

TMZ Sports provided additional context, noting Calhoun was the vice president of the United States from 1825 through 1832 and consistently advocated for slavery, going as far as to call it a "positive good" for black people.

Clemson was built on the grounds of Calhoun's former plantation, where he owned 70 to 80 slaves.

That the petition noted changing the name would acknowledge a change in the "understanding of history" is notable as nationwide protests against racism and police brutality since the May 25 killing of George Floyd have dominated headlines.

They have already helped spark some change, including Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's decision to remove a famous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Richmond, Virginia's Monument Avenue, per Alan Suderman and Sarah Rankin of the Associated Press.

Joel Shannon of USA Today reported the U.S. Marine Corps also ordered all public displays of the Confederate flag removed across the country.

Hopkins played at Clemson from 2010 through 2012 before he was a first-round pick of the Houston Texans. The four-time Pro Bowler is now one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.

Watson played at Clemson from 2014 through 2016 before he was also selected in the first round by the Texans. He led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff national championship in the 2016 season.