CLEMSON, S.C. — The continuation of Clemson’s 2018 preseason camp featured a couple of added elements on Wednesday, as the team donned full pads for the first time and welcomed Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre to the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex.
“We just kind of hit it off and had been texting and I just reached out to him and said, ‘Would you be interested in coming and just visiting with the team?'” Head Coach Dabo Swinney said. “We always bring in different people time-to-time — the monotony of camp — just to kind of give a different voice and different perspective, and here’s a guy that played 20 years in the NFL… He was excited to come and had never been here, so it was great.”
The day began with Favre’s surprise entrance into the team’s morning meeting. While Favre touched on his illustrious 20-year NFL career that earned him induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016, the 48-year-old’s message to the team focused primarily on how quickly time passes, as he encouraged Clemson’s players to live in the present, embrace this time in their lives and enjoy the time they have with their teammates.
Favre also fielded questions from the team, sharing stories about being teammates with Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White, about running a Wishbone/Wing-T offense in high school under his father, Irvin, and about how he stayed driven and motivated for the duration of his football career.
“He was great with the guys,” Swinney said. “Very interactive, kind of had some things he talked about and then he just opened it up and went wherever the players wanted to go. It was a lot of fun, a lot of great stories.”
In addition, Favre attended the team’s practice session in the late afternoon/early evening, getting a first-hand look at Clemson’s first full-padded practice of camp. Swinney and the coaching staff set a physical tone for the practice early, transitioning the players from their pre-practice “flex” period into the team’s famed PAW drill.
“I’ve been getting teams ready to play for a long time and I’ve got a method I believe in wholeheartedly as far as how we do things and how we practice,” Swinney said. “There’s a certain amount of live [work] that you can do; you’ve got to make it count.”
Fans will have the opportunity to meet the 2018 Tigers on Sunday, Aug. 12, when the team conducts its annual Fan Day at Memorial Stadium from 2:30-5:00 p.m. Fans are encouraged to visit the Football Fan Day hub at ClemsonTigers.com for full details on parking, traffic, stadium entry, autographs and more.
Clemson opens the season at home against Furman on Saturday, Sept. 1. A select number of single-game tickets for the 2018 season remain available by visiting ClemsonTigers.com or calling 1-800 CLEMSON.
