Thackerson’s record run echoes through Dragon history books
Clinton quarterback Tyler Thackerson scrambles in a 2015 game against Karns. Thackerson was 17-25 for 253 yards. He also ran for 46 yards and two touchdowns in the Dragons 41-28 win over the Beavers. (photo:File photo | Leah Gilbert )
Thackerson, a team captain and honor-roll student, compiled huge numbers in three of the wildest games in Clinton football history.
Those were against Central in 2013 and Heritage and Farragut in 2015.
He earned All-State honors with the Dragons as well as All-Region recognition and, from the Knoxville News Sentinel, All-PrepXtra awards.
The 6-foot-2, 188-pound quarterback, the son of another Dragon athlete, Troy Thackerson, went on to play four seasons at Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City.
Tyler Thackerson finished his Clinton career, playing for Head Coach Josh Kerr each season.
He amassed 700 pass completions in 1,076 attempts for 8,106 yards and 80 touchdowns, with 27 interceptions. He also rushed 383 times for 1,383 yards and 24 TDs, and caught three passes for 19 yards.
As a sophomore in 2013, Thackerson was quarterback in the game with the highest combined score from both teams in Clinton history.
Visiting Central defeated the Dragons 63-60 on a walk-off touchdown pass as time expired.
Thackerson finished the game 32-for-46 through the air for 504 yards and five TDs, including an 83-yard scoring toss to Drake Powell.
Clinton outgained the Bobcats 583-553 in total yards in the defeat.
Also in 2013, Thackerson passed for 386 yards at Karns, 353 at Campbell County, and 313 at home against Gibbs, ending the season 244-for-352 for 2,726 yards and 26 TDs.
Thackerson went 181-for-298 passing for 2,024 yards and 22 touchdowns in his junior season in 2014, including a 91-yarder to J’Quan Thomas, who still owns career receiving records for Clinton.
In his senior season of 2015, Thackerson put up massive stats in the second-highest scoring game in school history, a 75-43 victory at Heritage. Thackerson recorded 29 completions in 36 attempts for 454 yards and eight touchdowns against the Mountaineers. He rushed 11 times for 105 yards for 559 yards of total offense.
The game featured 58 first downs, 30 by the Dragons, and more than 1,100 yards in combined total offense as Clinton put up 663 yards to Heritage’s 524.
Thomas caught 11 of Thackerson’s passes for 264 yards and four TDs. Demarea Whitt added 10 receptions.
Later that season, Farragut topped the Dragons 45-39 despite Thackerson going 41-for-60 passing with 538 yards and four TDs.
Thomas reeled in 18 catches for 271 yards and four scores, and S.J. Powers caught nine for 162 yards.
Thackerson finished his final season for the Dragons with 275 passes in 426 attempts for 3,358 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Thackerson is in the TSSAA record book in numerous places, including fifth in career completions with 700, ninth in career passing attempts with 1,076, and tied for 11th in most TDs in a career, rushing plus passing, with 104.
He is fifth all-time in the state in most completions in a season with 275 in 2015, and tied for 11th in total offense in a season (rushing plus passing) with 3,931 yards in 2015.
For the Farragut game in 2015 alone, Thackerson is in the state record book for total offense in a game with 606 yards, third in most completions in a game with 41, fourth for most passing yards in a game with 528, and fourth for most passing attempts, with 60.
He is also tied for sixth all-time in most completions in a game with 38 against Karns in 2013, and tied for ninth in the same category with 37 completions against Campbell County in 2013.
He is tied for seventh in most passing attempts in a season with 426 in 2015, and tied for fourth for TD passes in a game, with eight against Heritage in 2015.
At Carson-Newman, Thackerson — also recruited by Western Carolina, Tennessee Tech, and UT-Chattanooga — went 3-1 as a starter in 2019, completing 24 of 47 passes for 565 yards/four TDs.
Also that season, he led the Eagles to their first road playoff win in a decade, a 17-9 victory at Bowie State.
Thackerson ended his college career with 41 completions in 75 attempts for 775 yards and seven TDs, with only one interception.