Dabo Swinney Speaks On Justyn Ross, Players Return, 2020 Season To be or Not…

Clemson,SC

Clemson head Coach Dabo Swinney spoke with the media today via conference call and spoke on a number of topics. The biggest news to come out of the call was the info that Justyn Ross the Tigers All American wideout would miss the entire season. This resulting from back surgery to take place on Friday. The Clemson head coach also spoke on the Tigers return to campus next week, coronavirus and College Football in the fall, the recent death of George Floyd and much much more.

LISTEN HERE to the entire 48 Minutes Transcript below.. MOVE FORWARD to the 10:45 minute mark for the start of Dabo’s comments.

• Clemson Athletics Department4:36Hey everybody, there’s Ross Taylor with Clemson athletics, appreciate you all joining us Coach Swinney should be joining us momentarily.
• 4:43I’m not sure why Zoom is soliciting questions via Q AMP a format we we will go around to folks who cover us on a daily basis and ask her, ask for questions.
• 4:56For folks just like a normal conference call. I don’t know why. Zoom is having a solicit by text.
• 5:03For those joining us via zoom. If you’d like to ask a question please raise your hand, using the feature included in zoom. Let me know if you have any questions about that.
• 5:12Soon as coach wraps up his opening statements will start going around to to our local beat core for any questions so standby. As soon as coach joins us will get going. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know.
• Dabo Swinney9:37ROSS Oh here’s
• 9:41Oh my goodness. Are you there.
• Clemson Athletics Department9:45I’m here. Hello.
• 9:47I think we got everybody with us. Can you hear
• Dabo Swinney9:48Us.
• Clemson Athletics Department9:49There, hear me, at least. Yep.
• Dabo Swinney9:51All right. Excellent.
•  

• Clemson Athletics Department9:53Like I said, we really appreciate everyone joining us realize it’s a little bit short notice. But really appreciate y’all.
• 9:58being with us today.
• 10:00Coach Sweeney has been very generous offer us a little bit of his time today to address you all directly on a myriad of topics.
• 10:08Including, you know, current events and injury updates, our time window is a little bit limited. So just be advised. We are going to prioritize members of our local beat Corps for questions.
• 10:17I appreciate those of you who have raised your hands already using the zoom feature or text me to let me know.
• 10:22Like to ask a question separately if you’re dialing in
• 10:26Please continue to do so I will use that once it comes time for questions. But coach. I’ll turn it over to you and let you lead off with the injury update with any introductory comments.
• Dabo Swinney10:36Okay, thanks for also appreciate that. Sorry everybody.
• 10:40I guess I’m what La La sent me a link, I got an update to a 5.0 or something, but not sure what that was all about. But
• 10:50Anyway, just want to say good afternoon everyone and just really wanted to take a minute to address a couple things today. And certainly going to just put out a statement. But you know, I really just
• 11:04Felt like I wanted to express myself properly and and and also there’s a couple things to talk about. But first and foremost.
• 11:15I know that
• 11:17You know, we are all hurting for the Floyd family.
• 11:23And and our country and
• 11:26You know, I can speak for our entire staff and our team in that regard for sure.
• 11:33We have, we have all witnessed just
• 11:37Disgusting acts of evil. That’s really the only word I can appropriately us
• 11:45Over the past, you know, recent week here and just and beyond, but
• 11:52You know, to address it for me to really be able to address it.
• 11:59Everything, everything for me, goes back to my faith that’s, that’s where I draw my piece from. That’s where I draw my hope from. That’s where I draw my perspective from and
• 12:13You know, I’m glad I don’t have social media.
• 12:17You know, because my reaction would probably been to jump on social media and probably say things I should say and regret and I’m glad I don’t have that.
• 12:27But what I know as I you know approach everything from from a perspective of faith is that that where there are people there. There’s going to be hate there’s going to be racism and greed jealousy crime so on.
• 12:44Because we live in a sinful fallen world and
• 12:48We’ve had so much bad news. Everywhere you turn. There’s, there’s, there’s bad news, but
• 12:55Really today. I just wanted to take a moment and and offer some goodness and
• 13:01For me, the good news is, is that we have a lord that loves us all, and it has conquered already, and we all have a choice as to how we think how we love how we respond and how we forgive and there’s no question that these are challenging times
• 13:24But what I’ve learned is, is where there is no challenge there is no change. And we have to all accept the challenge.
• 13:32And all help to bring about positive change and growth.
• 13:36And as I talked to our staff this morning.
• 13:39The soil is fertile.
• 13:43And the seeds of this soil of change, if you will.
• 13:48Or love or respect or attitude, kindness, humility service faith.
• 13:58And forgiveness.
• 14:00And you know what forgiveness is always the hardest forgiveness with something that I struggle with in my life.
• 14:08In my teens and early 20s and and eventually, you know, I was the one being hurt because that forgiveness just
• 14:18Just eat Sasha, and if you take the word faith, I can think Todd Bates for this. If you take that word faith and you make it into an acronym.
• 14:30Forgiveness always is the hardest and it is
• 14:36But love, respect attitude, kindness, humility service faith and forgiveness, these, these are the choices.
• 14:46That we control.
• 14:48We do control those choices.
• 14:50And there are three truths right now for sure it for this time. And this is another thing cost base and now we’re talking about and I agree. You know, love, does it see color hate does
• 15:06Hatred has no heart loved us.
• 15:09And as you know, football teams.
• 15:13And just people in general, you know, we have to stick together. We gotta respect each other and we got accepted differences that do exist.
• 15:21And for me, you know, my focus is my team and the staff and my prayer is that God will continue, as he has for the last 11 and a half years that God will continue to use our program at Clemson to develop
• 15:38To shape to equip to educate and raise up great men through the game of football that are going to go on into this world as great leaders and create wonderful change and bring love and wisdom to our country.
• 15:56That’s my passion. That’s our why
• 16:01And that’s my focus
• Dabo Swinney16:03And one of the things that I always tell our team and they’ve heard me say many, many times.
• 16:09In regards to football is that there is no hope for a better yesterday.
• 16:16There’s no hope for a better last week, there’s no hope for a better last year.
• 16:22It just is.
• 16:24But one of the one of the verses in the Bible that I’ve always hung on to for a long, long time. It is always comfort me
• 16:33When I needed it. And that’s Jeremiah 2911
• 16:37Verses for I know the plans I have for you, their plans for good not disaster.
• 16:44Plans to give you a future and a hope.
• 16:48For I know the plans I have for you. Plans for good not disaster plans to give you a future and a hope.
• 16:58And while there may be no hope for a better yesterday.
• 17:04There is hope in the future.
• 17:07And when there’s hope in the future. There’s power in the present.
• 17:11And that power.
• 17:13For me comes from my faith comes from the strength and the piece of knowing Jesus is on the throne.
• 17:22And that’s, that’s really all I can say. And, and that’s, that’s how I
• 17:30That’s, that’s how I can. That’s the only
• 17:34Thing I can offer is my perspective of faith and hope that that can be an encouragement.
• 17:43Our team is hurting communicated with them last week and our staff is amazing.
• 17:53We absolutely, absolutely, absolutely must come together.
• 17:59So I want to just share that and take a minute to let you hear that from me.
• 18:06And make sure I articulated it the right way. But the second thing that I needed to discuss and I was actually going to
• 18:15Speak with you guys. Originally I was planning on later. Later in the week probably Thursday.
• 18:22But with with all the other things I felt like we needed to
• 18:27Move it up.
• 18:29But the second thing we needed to address with with everyone is is Justin Ross. And as you all know,
• 18:38Justin missed the last few days of a couple days of spring back in March and
• 18:47We then we had the virus and all that. And so we went back together. So it took a little bit of time to kind of get
• 18:58All the information that we needed and so forth, to be able to properly assess the situation and to get the best plan of attack for what he’s dealing with
• 19:10And you know, I try to always be transparent with y’all. And, you know, obviously, we haven’t had opportunity to meet in person or things like that, but

• 19:18Really just again wanted to kind of just make you aware of Justin situation what he’s dealing with and kind of the plan move forward from here, but Justin.
• 19:33He’s going to have surgery this Friday and
• 19:37Basically the you know the best doc in layman’s terms can say when he had a he caught a path is really just kind of just really kind of nothing.
• 19:51Crazy just called a slant got hit, and I went down any any was very slow to get up and he kind of had stinger symptoms. Little bit of numbness type of thing and
• 20:04Which which which is not uncommon in the game of football, you know, if you played football. These things can happen. Time to time but
• 20:12It’s a little slow to get up and you know our doctors who are great and and he didn’t practice the rest of the day and and but he was fun. It was fun on the sideline and and also the I didn’t really think much about it. So in that night at dinner was great. And the next morning.
• 20:31Danny pool came in my office with
• 20:35Dr. Martin and then you know you’re not gonna believe this. And I’m like what I didn’t know what was going on. I, the last thing on my mind.
• 20:44But bottom line is anytime we have a player that has any type of stinger type of situation or anything involving the neck. They do an X ray. And as it turns out, when they did the x ray. Dr. Martin was pretty
• 20:58pretty shocked at what he saw when he looked at his, his back and his spine and and the reason he was shocked is because Justin has what they call is a congenital fusion, which is something he was born with.
• 21:13And so you know what what I can say to you is the crazy thing is in the frustrating thing for Justin is Justin, a great. I mean, he can run, jump through backflips dunk a basketball. I mean, he’s, he looks like he’s always look
• 21:30And obviously he’s never had any issues with this because he was born with it. He’s had his whole life, and nobody even knew about it.
• 21:37And
• 21:39Eventually, the further he went in his football career probably would have shown up but nobody to this point knew that he had that
• 21:46And he said, no issues and his whole career, but because of situation. They just, you know, they and they did this x ray. It showed up and so very concerned and and he has a little bit of a bulging disc as well and and that is an issue and so
• 22:09There’s been many people play football with a with a surgical fusion that’s that’s happens
• 22:17A lot of times
• 22:19But we don’t know of one that’s had a surgical Anna congenital. And so anyway, just really created some questions for our medical people because the number one thing is that he’s safe to be able to play football and so
• 22:40We’ve, we’ve spent a lot of time doctors have been a wonderful job in trying to get the best information and the best path forward. And so Dr.
• 22:53Okonkwo who is one of the top neurosurgeons really
• 23:00In the country and
• 23:02He is the Steelers the neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is one of the main an SNL guys. But anyway, that’s how he
• 23:12Has has stepped up and and really been great in this process for Justin.
• 23:20He’s already met with him once, and he’ll fly up there on Thursday have surgery Friday and and then we’ll go from there.
• 23:28But the biggest thing is Justin will not, he will be out this year, you will not be able to play this fall. And you know if he was
• 23:39I mean, if he was a football coach or an account in or or whatever, he’d be back at it probably six weeks, but
• 23:48He’s a football player. And so there’s obviously a lot more
• 23:53You know involved here when it comes for him to be able to play the game that he loves the frustrating thing for Justin is he feels perfectly fine. But the doctors know that that he is at risk. But Dr o clock Okonkwo
• 24:11Is is awesome. And he’s been very positive with Justin. He’s been very hopeful and. And as you know, got a good plan ahead. So there’s
• 24:23There’s no guarantees with anything certainly very hopeful that the surgery will go well and it will take him out of harm’s way. As far as, you know, risk of paralysis or anything like that.
• 24:38And then

• 24:40You know he can hopefully by January, he’s he’s doing great. And he’s got a decision to make this he tried to go take his shot at the combine and and perform well there and have a chance to keep playing at the next level, or does he want to come back and
• 25:01Play at Clemson another year and and go from there. Similar to Mike Williams and the decision that Mike Williams had had to make when Mike Williams said his injury.
• 25:10You know, there was a lot that we didn’t know it was a lot of unknowns, different, different injury but similar circumstances had to miss.
• 25:17A year he ended up coming back and you know the rest is history for him and hopefully that’ll be the case for Justin.
• 25:24As far as a great recovery. But that’s the situation with him. I can’t, I can’t give you any more details than that.
• 25:34You know, I was shocked, just like everyone else, especially when you hear you’re looking at him run and do everything. And it was great.
• 25:42But it’s a very unique situation. And again, Dr Okonkwo was is positive and you know he thinks that there is a good pass for Justin to play football again and
• 25:55He’s excited about, you know, the challenge ahead of seeing that happen but there again, there, there are no guarantees, but
• 26:04Just wanted to kind of let you all know exactly where he is the surgery that he will be having on Friday.
• 26:14And Justin’s in a really good place. You know, the first, the very beginning, it was, it was a it was a hard thing for all of us to kind of get our arms around
• 26:24But his mom is amazing. He’s got a wonderful support system around and Justin does a great place, mentally, because you’re ready to to take to do what he needs to do to give himself.
• 26:37The best chance to play football again.
• 26:42And so I just asked it. Y’all keep him in your prayers as well. This week, as he takes us in this next step on Friday.
• 26:53And it has the surgery so that that was something again that that I knew I wanted to speak with the media about this week but felt like we should just go ahead and talk about it today because I felt like we needed to address.
• 27:12This other issue that we’ve all been dealing with as a country. And just as people as well. So with that, take a few questions here and
• 27:26You want to take it from there.
• Clemson Athletics Department27:28I will. We’re going to lead off with
• Dabo Swinney27:30Pete yaka belly.
• Clemson Athletics Department27:31From the Associated Press.
• 27:34Be ready, take it away.
• Pete Iacobelli27:35Yeah, hey Devo Ross, everybody. Thanks for
• 27:39For doing this.
• 27:42Demo I how difficulty think it’ll be for these guys getting back together.
• 27:48Next week, both with the news of Justin and with what’s going on in the country.
• Dabo Swinney27:56Well, I think it’s going to be the best thing for all of us is to be together, to be honest with you, I don’t think that’s going to be difficult at all. I think that’s going to that’s going to be
• 28:06A powerful help for all of us. And they, they all know about Justin. They’ve all known for, you know, for a little while I addressed it with the team.
• 28:17A couple of team meeting because he go and so they all know exactly what’s going on there and you know the team has been very good. And as well, you know, we’ve been together that the meetings have been awesome.
• 28:31You know the coaching staff has done an amazing job. You know, we’re further along mentally right now than we’ve ever been just because of our ability to be able to have
• 28:43You know, all these football meetings that we would have not been able to have. So I think all over that part has been good.
• 28:51But as far as, you know,
• 28:54Everything going on in the world and just everybody being home. These guys are way past ready to see their brothers and to get back together and and hopefully continue to to move forward and getting back to do doing what we what we love to do.
• Clemson Athletics Department29:15All right, I’m gonna go next.
• 29:16To Matt Connolly.
• 29:17From the state.
• Matt Connolly29:23Hey Dad, why do you feel like it’s important you mentioned wanting to come out and say something, instead of just released a statement when you feel like it’s important to have your voice heard and have you heard from players that have said that they would like for you to say something.
• Dabo Swinney29:37Oh well communicated with my players and, you know, had good conversations with several those guys and our team is great, but
• 29:46Now I there was nobody on the team. One minute. So they all know I’m will say something that’s that’s that’s just it just
• 29:54You know, sometimes it’s better to listen and speak and
• 29:58You know, it’s not about trying to speak first or something like that.
• 30:03You know, spent the last week, listening and
• 30:07And had a great
• 30:09staff meeting this morning and we have just wonderful people on our staff and I know that and moments like this just reaffirms that but
• 30:21Again, it wasn’t a matter of if I was going to say something’s a matter when I’m in. I’m not on social media and and i’m not i’m not going join Twitter, just to
• 30:32Handle make a statement on something. And yeah, I can just release a statement anytime. But I really, I really wanted to speak and I wanted you guys to hear my voice and I want to try to give it. I wanted to give you an opportunity to ask questions.
• 30:46So again, I’ve tried to always be honest and open and transparent and all those types of things. And, and I know when I speak I get criticized and and when I don’t speak I get criticized, so I don’t really worry about that. It’s just more
• 31:03You know, making sure that I have my thoughts.
• 31:07In a way that I think can be constructive.
• Clemson Athletics Department31:13Alright, we’re going to go next to Scott keeper from the Greenville news, Scott. Go ahead.
• Dabo Swinney31:22Oh, sorry.
• Scott Keepfer31:23Yeah, Pete. Pete stole my thunder. So you can go on. I’m good.
• Dabo Swinney31:27Okay.
• Clemson Athletics Department31:28Thanks Scott will go to grace, Rainer the athletic
• 31:32Grace. When you’re ready, go ahead.
• Grace Raynor31:35Hey, coach Sweeney, thank you for doing this. You mentioned your players. What kind of things are you doing your staff gonna be doing, especially
• 31:43As the players get back on a campus to make sure they feel
• 31:46Supported and that you’re having those types of
• 31:49Things.
• Dabo Swinney31:51Well, you know, we try to do the same things that we always have done and that is to to love them and to hopefully demonstrate
• 32:01All those things and I talked about earlier on a daily basis and and that’s one of the things that that has helped us sustain success for a long time around here is communication and
• 32:15And so, you know, we try to be very open. We try to communicate in a very transparent way we we always have and will continue to do that.
• 32:26But we’ve got a wonderful staff and and you know support these guys in any way that we possibly can. And they know that we’re available to them and
• 32:36And we’re going to, like I say, we’re going to, we’re going to all we have a great opportunity here to truly and I said the source photo and to hopefully so so some great seeds in in all grow from this
• Clemson Athletics Department32:54Alright, we’re going to go next to Josh Needleman to the post and courier Josh. When you’re ready, go ahead.
• Joshua Needelman33:01Yeah, hey Devo I
• 33:03Know, you’ve said on the record or that
• 33:06You respect the right protest I just
• 33:08Want to ask you about something you said back in 2016
• 33:11You said that in regards to people who
• 33:14Quote belt. The world is falling apart that
• 33:16Some of those people need to quote move to another country. Just wondering if you stand by that. Or if you’re thinking has changed in any way.
• Dabo Swinney33:26Oh, well that was probably a harsh statement for sure, but, you know, again, we we we do I still believe in the good of people
• 33:36And you know i just i just as a person of faith. I believe in that. And I do believe that that
• 33:44We had lots of problems for sure but I still think we have
• 33:49The best country in the world and
• 33:52It’s up to us to make it better. It’s up to us to, to, to, you know, create the positive change that we want to see in this world.
• 34:03And we all have to do our part. And for me, my part is, is, again, as I said, you know, trying to use the game of football and to to shape and develop and educate and raise up great men.
• 34:17And I think we’ve been able to do that in a great way. Over the last decade. We have a lot of great men that have come through this program and they’re going to continue to come through this program that are creating wonderful change and
• 34:31You know, I’m a football coach and that’s what I love to do. That’s my passion.
• 34:37And the way I can create that change is to try to do my job in a way that glorifies God and that
• 34:48You know, helps create and cultivate
• 34:53All those things that we all want to see in each other, such as love and respect and attitude and kindness and humility forgiveness and and all those those things, but I’m certainly have a long way from a perfect person but
• 35:10You know that’s that’s that’s we just try to stay focused on those things.
• Clemson Athletics Department35:17All right, we’re going to go next to Larry Williams from tiger illustrated where you go ahead and you’re ready.
• 35:30Larry, are you with us.
• Larry Williams35:34Sorry about that. I was muted apologies.
• 35:38Demo with the players returning back to
• 35:41Back to campus beyond what they’re being
• 35:43Told just
• Dabo Swinney35:44With the
• Larry Williams35:45Regulations handed down from above.
• 35:47Above You are. You’re instructing them.
• 35:50On what
• 35:51To do or not to do during their time back like away from team.
• 35:55related activities and such.
• Dabo Swinney36:00I mean, we, you know, same things that we’ve been
• 36:03You know, instructing them to do the whole time, you know, and to be honest with you. The great majority of our team’s been back for quite a while, you know, because most of our guys live off campus. And so we’ve had lots of guys back for a good while.
• 36:20As you know, they have some they have a right to be back and their own places and things like that. And that’s their choice.
• 36:27But you know the Old Campus guys are able to come back and they’re not we’re have temporary housing for them.
• 36:35Because our own campus housing is not available yet, but it’s the same things that we’ve been talking about, and that is, you know, to be smart and to be advice that’s that’s out there to
• 36:47You know, stay clean and, you know, stay, you know, practice, the social distancing and and stay away from big groups and all those types of things so that that that’s not any different. But, you know, obviously.
• 37:04June one, things are a little different than they were April one, and so that’s why our guys are allowed to come back and and
• 37:13You know, keep moving forward. But, but even though we’re things are opening back up and it can go to restaurants and do different things still just be smart and we’ve got a great plan in place.
• 37:27All across this campus that everyone feels good about and it’s a very
• 37:34Organized and phased in process that we’re going to go through over the next month and a half here and hopefully continuing to get back to
• 37:44You know more of a normal situation you know later in the summer in August.
• Clemson Athletics Department37:52All right, I’m gonna go next two and a hickey from close and 24 seven. And when you’re ready, go ahead.
• Anna Hickey38:00Hey, Dad. Well, thank you again for doing it to another every question Mario good rich. I know he had a quick surgery. I don’t think it was anything major but just kind of an update on him. And when you expect him to expect him to get back
• Dabo Swinney38:14Yeah, he’s doing good, and
• 38:16There was, it was actually he had a little, just a little fragment of the head to kind of scope out of there. And we’re going to do it here after we got back if he wasn’t where they wanted to be, but obviously we did get back so
• 38:33He’s doing well. He’s doing really well. And he’s actually
• 38:38Staying out there. This week he, I think he’s the only one that’s not back
• 38:43You know, as far as our scholarship, guys.
• 38:46Mario be back. I think he’s gonna get back here on the eight because he had had one more week finishing up his, his therapy out there. And then he he’ll be here after that. But he’s doing good. He’s doing really good, don’t expect any issues.
• Clemson Athletics Department39:02With the next David hood from tiger net, David. Go ahead and whenever you’re ready.
• David Hood39:07Hey, Coach. Good to talk to you again. Um, first question.
• 39:11Be a
• 39:12Real quick, one day, all of the staff all the players have any of them, you know, had any contact with the coronas everybody helping anybody recovered from it.
• Dabo Swinney39:22All everybody’s good, you know, everybody’s been great. You know, it’s a constant weekly
• 39:29Contact with the pool and our medical team and the coaches and all that, you know, we’ve all been good and but we know will continue to
• 39:39Daily monitor that especially as we get that together and everybody’s, you know, we mean we’re gonna we’re going to be everybody’s going to be tested and all that stuff. So
• 39:49If we find out something later on, you know, again, those are all private medical things. It’s not something I’m will be i can i can’t come out and
• 39:58And I have no idea, we don’t you know everybody’s been great. I’ll I can tell you we’re all in great health and all that, but
• 40:05Who’s to say, you know, when we do all the testing. I mean, they may come out and say, oh, this guy’s had it in this guy’s head, but it’s not like we’re going to do a report card every week.
• 40:15You know those are those are medical medical type of privacy things, but all I can tell you is everybody’s great we’ve had no issues. Everyone’s healthy as much as far as we know, and but we will do that. We will do the testing.
• 40:33On
• 40:36Starting this next week that our guys are back at you know be here for a week of quarantine, and being back in the area.
• 40:44And then they’ll come in and start Monday with the testing and you know we got the daily process of temperature checks and and all the precautions that you can think of are in place.
• 40:59So that’s what we’ll continue to do and and hopefully, hopefully, continue to have the good fortune that we’ve had and not having issues.
• Clemson Athletics Department41:09Right, we’re going to attempt to go next to will Vander board at the Clemson insider
• 41:13We’ll go ahead. Whenever you’re ready.
• Dabo Swinney41:17I don’t even have another question that maybe
• 41:24We try to circle back with David real quick.
• Clemson Athletics Department41:26David you I was
• David Hood41:27Yeah yeah if you still hear me okay
• 41:31Yeah, the second part would be just, you know,
• 41:32With with Justin obviously Cornell Powell, you’ve still got Mr. Rogers, but he was going to be counted on this.
• Dabo Swinney41:38Year.
• David Hood41:39How have the young wide receivers and Tyler Grisham kind of
• 41:43reacted to the news and then for you who are going to be
• 41:46You know, a couple of the guys that have to be next man.
• 41:48Up and this is why you recruit
• 41:51Like you do
• Dabo Swinney41:53Oh, there’s no question. I mean injury, your game of part of football part of the game of football for sure. And, you know, every, every player understands that. But you know, it’s something that like I said that we have been dealing with for a while.
• 42:11Since since, you know, you know, early April as far as kind of the realization that hey, he’s probably going to be out for the fall and we got a great group, you know, obviously, Frank. Last one, and then gotta
• 42:25And Brandon specter were were three guys from last year’s class that we’re really, really excited about in Joseph’s and Frank and got some great experience. Brandon, we were able to red shirt.
• 42:37It was he’s getting DJ
• 42:40And he EJ EJ got
• 42:44Spring.
• 42:46But Griffin.
• 42:48Can y’all hear me.
• Clemson Athletics Department42:50Hello, we can hear you.
• Dabo Swinney42:54Okay, but you know having EJ in the spring was great for him.
• 43:00You know he’s he’s actually very similar to Ross, to be honest with you, maybe a little faster, but very similar type of player and talent. So we’re really fortunate we got some good guys and then obviously, you know, Mari and Cornell.
• 43:16Bring some some great veteran leadership there and will be counted on that way and then we’ll Sweeney and will brown
• 43:24Two guys that that you know we’re having good springs for us will be counted on from a depth standpoint as well. But we got a good group and you know we’re excited about the group and then we got one more coming in. So it’ll, it’ll put
• 43:41A lot on Greece’s plate and my plate to make sure those guys are ready and we got to Joe, Joe, you know, showing up here this summer, who’s another really great young talent.
• 43:53But with all of this a positive of the disco bad situation is like I said earlier, we’ve been able to have so much time from a football meeting standpoint.
• 44:07That is incredibly has been incredibly valuable for us. I mean, to be able to have
• 44:12The opportunity to go through our installation multiple times to do individual stuff to really Britt, because the biggest thing with young players is just knowledge and
• 44:26You know, to be able to have a Joe sitting, you know, and listening in those meetings to have Ej, you know, getting you know bridging that gap a little bit because he’s the furthest away mentally and from those other guys.
• 44:40That’s been very helpful. And then you look at a guy like Cornell Powell. He was was. I mean, he was the most consistent goddess spring. It was awesome to see that and
• 44:50You know, so hopefully he’s going to he’s going to rise up and take advantage of this opportunity in a big way. But, you know, we got a great group and
• 45:00That’s what you have to do. You gotta, you gotta get get the next guy ready and and we’re fortunate that we got multiple guys that can play multiple positions and
• 45:11You know, be excited about the opportunity we all they’ll hurt for Justin Justin’s been great Justin’s been great. He’ll be he’ll be, you know, I expect him to be, you know, one of the best coaches that we have this fall in helping you know get these guys ready cuz
• 45:29It’s important to him and and and he loves these guys.
• Clemson Athletics Department45:35We’re gonna have to go back to Wolverine aboard here will do you have it now.
• Dabo Swinney45:41Yeah, man. Hey, I just want to ask, no one
• Will Vandervort45:44In ways that are sugar and then also
• 45:47Announced see ready to go. Awesome. I love you guys.
• Dabo Swinney45:53I’m sorry, one more time will
• Will Vandervort45:57Be showing her how he’s doing. And then also
• Dabo Swinney46:00Yes. No. No one is doing great. And, you know, now she’s been really working hard and progressing as well, you know, been getting updates, you know, from from Danny and the coaches everybody’s progressing and doing really good and you know no one in particular.
• 46:20Just because I was in a conversation. I mean, he’s he’s, he’s pretty much doing everything full speed. So I think he’s in a in a really good spot.
• Clemson Athletics Department46:31We’ve got time for about one more. We’re trying to squeeze in Mitch Brown from Fox Columbia, Mitch. Go ahead.
• Mitch Brown46:40Thanks. Thanks.
• 46:43Hope you hear me seeing, hearing some feedback. My question was just
• 46:47You talked about the steps, about how you’re going to
• 46:50Love your team or and work with your team and talk with them. Obviously, the team is your, your first

Dabo Swinney46:58Priority

• Mitch Brown46:59In the players on the team, the coaches on the staff, but what do you plan to do as a program to kind of help in your community with the same steps because obviously surrounding communities and South Carolina sometimes go through the
• Dabo Swinney47:13Same issues.
• Mitch Brown47:14Of inequality and social injustice.
• 47:17Just how to help the community in this instance and
• 47:20Not just from a team standpoint.
• Dabo Swinney47:24Well, the best thing you know is to use our platform in a positive way and to be an example. I mean, we are a football team. And, you know, the best thing that we can do is be able to for people to be able to point to our team and and and see
• 47:42You know, hopefully what the world wants and to see people who love and respect each other and you know sometimes disagree that are disagreeable and
• 47:55You know, that’s really the biggest thing is to is to exemplify and demonstrate
• 48:03You know, with the platform that we have
• 48:06love and positivity and
• 48:10And and respect and service, you know, to serve others kindness, humility, all those things that’s that’s the best thing that we can do for our communities to be good examples and all these things.
• Clemson Athletics Department48:26All right. That brings us to about 415 so we’re gonna need to wrap this up. We. We really, really appreciate everybody joining us especially being on about three hours short notice. Thank you all. And hopefully we will
• 48:37Be in touch with you all in person, a little bit sooner.
• 48:39Down the line Celtic there.Dabo Swinney48:42Alright, appreciate