Written By: SaJorden Miller
(July 22, 2016, Charlotte, NC) Just like every other team in the Atlantic Costal Conference, Clemson University’s head coach Dabo Swinney and the rest of the Tigers are excited about this 2016 season. Swinney showed his love for his team and staff going into this season at this year's ACC Kickoff.
Dabo is looking forward to his 8th year as head coach at Clemson and plans for a special season. “We feel like we're one of those teams that have a chance to have a special season. But we all know there's a lot of work to be done. So this is kind of that pathway to the next step. This means that we're going to be back on the grass here soon. We're looking forward to it.”
Clemson Junior quarterback Deshaun Watson is more than just a remarkable athlete, he also exceeds expectations academically. Watson will be graduating in December from Clemson, which is a top-20 academic institution. He is just five hours short of graduating in two and a half years.
Coach Swinney had nothing but positivity when talking about Watson and senior linebacker at Clemson Ben Boulware; “But two great leaders. We talk in our program about being three-percenters. These are one-percenters. These are two young men that represent everything we want our program to be about, in every year of their life.”
Over the summer Watson went to Oregon for training at The Opening finals. He was eager to learn from some of the vets in Oregon as well as extend some of his experiences and knowledge to the high school athletes. “It was a great time to learn from the vets that's been there to where I want to go one day. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl, played 14 years in the NFL. Picked his brain. Then learn from guys like George Whitfield, quarterback guru. Jordan Palmer, who played 19 years in the NFL. His brother is Carson Palmer. There's a lot of great knowledge up there. Not just be closed in for what I think or what I assume. Just a great experience to be able to teach the high school kids show my experience, what I went through, what I'm going through now, to get those high school kids ready and prepared for the next four or five years of their lives.”
Watson had an exciting time in Oregon; he learned a lot and he will surely put his new-found knowledge to the test this upcoming season.
Boulware impressed the media with his fashion showing in light blue capris that were just dress pants rolled as he said to the media after the press conference. With the capris, Boulware wore a floral dress shirt with a pink tie and a tan suit jacket.
Aside from his sense of style Boulware has impressed on and off the football field being selected to the Academic all-ACC team last year. Coach Swinney has had an impact on the players not only as athletes but as well as citizens and students. Boulware said it best how the coach is more than just a football coach by coaching these boys into men “I think it's being mature enough and knowing your role. Coach Swinney preaches us to us every day about being a good student, a good citizen. Coach Swinney has done a great job of instilling in us those values, the benefit of hard work. It was going to be a tough season playing 15 games. I know football is only going to last so long. I know my education is going to carry me for the rest of my life. I think that's the great thing about our program, it's really education first. Coach Swinney knows football will take care of itself. He's recruited great talent, great athletes to this program. He's also recruited, great men. I think he knows we're going to take care of business on the field and off the field.” Being Boulware's last season at Clemson, we can expect to see great things coming from him once again.
The players and coaches are excited about this 2016 season and plan to have a successful season yet again after coming up just short in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship game. The players and coaches continue to grow every day together making the team stronger. Saturday, September 3rd the Clemson Tigers get their season kicked off against the Auburn Tigers in Auburn, AL at 9:00 pm being streamed by ESPN.
Dabo is looking forward to his 8th year as head coach at Clemson and plans for a special season. “We feel like we're one of those teams that have a chance to have a special season. But we all know there's a lot of work to be done. So this is kind of that pathway to the next step. This means that we're going to be back on the grass here soon. We're looking forward to it.”
Clemson Junior quarterback Deshaun Watson is more than just a remarkable athlete, he also exceeds expectations academically. Watson will be graduating in December from Clemson, which is a top-20 academic institution. He is just five hours short of graduating in two and a half years.
Coach Swinney had nothing but positivity when talking about Watson and senior linebacker at Clemson Ben Boulware; “But two great leaders. We talk in our program about being three-percenters. These are one-percenters. These are two young men that represent everything we want our program to be about, in every year of their life.”
Over the summer Watson went to Oregon for training at The Opening finals. He was eager to learn from some of the vets in Oregon as well as extend some of his experiences and knowledge to the high school athletes. “It was a great time to learn from the vets that's been there to where I want to go one day. Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl, played 14 years in the NFL. Picked his brain. Then learn from guys like George Whitfield, quarterback guru. Jordan Palmer, who played 19 years in the NFL. His brother is Carson Palmer. There's a lot of great knowledge up there. Not just be closed in for what I think or what I assume. Just a great experience to be able to teach the high school kids show my experience, what I went through, what I'm going through now, to get those high school kids ready and prepared for the next four or five years of their lives.”
Watson had an exciting time in Oregon; he learned a lot and he will surely put his new-found knowledge to the test this upcoming season.
Boulware impressed the media with his fashion showing in light blue capris that were just dress pants rolled as he said to the media after the press conference. With the capris, Boulware wore a floral dress shirt with a pink tie and a tan suit jacket.
Aside from his sense of style Boulware has impressed on and off the football field being selected to the Academic all-ACC team last year. Coach Swinney has had an impact on the players not only as athletes but as well as citizens and students. Boulware said it best how the coach is more than just a football coach by coaching these boys into men “I think it's being mature enough and knowing your role. Coach Swinney preaches us to us every day about being a good student, a good citizen. Coach Swinney has done a great job of instilling in us those values, the benefit of hard work. It was going to be a tough season playing 15 games. I know football is only going to last so long. I know my education is going to carry me for the rest of my life. I think that's the great thing about our program, it's really education first. Coach Swinney knows football will take care of itself. He's recruited great talent, great athletes to this program. He's also recruited, great men. I think he knows we're going to take care of business on the field and off the field.” Being Boulware's last season at Clemson, we can expect to see great things coming from him once again.
The players and coaches are excited about this 2016 season and plan to have a successful season yet again after coming up just short in the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship game. The players and coaches continue to grow every day together making the team stronger. Saturday, September 3rd the Clemson Tigers get their season kicked off against the Auburn Tigers in Auburn, AL at 9:00 pm being streamed by ESPN.