Cliff was born and raised in Gainesville, FL and still lives there today, with his wife, daughter and a variety of other family members. Growing up, his two great passions were music and baseball. He was an All-State ballplayer at P.K Yonge School and signed a scholarship with Auburn. He played there briefly. Then played two years at Jones County Junior College, in Ellisville, MS. From there, he earned a degree in Radio, Television and Film from The University of West Florida. He also has a degree in computer programming. After graduation, he returned to Gainesville.