For the second time since the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis in America, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney met with the media across the country on a conference call Friday morning. Saturday was to be the Clemson Orange and White Game in Death Valley to culminate spring practice. Instead, all Swinney and his staff can do is connect via technology with their players to encourage them to stay on track academically and physically. Swinney fully believes there will be a football season to play and he wants his team to be ready.
Some of the key comments from the Swinney conference call
- They did have 9 full practices, one full scrimmage and one half-scrimmage in the spring and they were able to make some good progress, and they were able to get some good evaluation done.
- Told the team this team is further ahead of where they were at this time last year. Said they have a lot more “functional” groups, feels he has a lot of “twos” who can play winning football.
- Thru technology, they are able to do everything they would normally do, staff meetings, team meetings, position meetings, recruiting. The only thing they are not doing is practicing.
- His team is “in a really good place.” They had a very good team meeting recently. Said the academic part for the players taking on-line classes has not been a problem, said they are trying to treat it like they are all at Clemson.
- The NCAA is allowing the coaches to meet with players 4 hours a week, which he said is good for all, better to over meet with them than not meet enough, more communication is better.
- They’ll sign about 18 in this class, they have 10 commitments, they had two junior days, missing a big recruiting day tomorrow.
- In favor of some extra practice sessions not in pads just so you can teach and condition and get them ready for camp. Said it’s not fair they got 9 spring practices and others got none, so he’s in favor of others getting more of those sessions to even up.
Dabo Swinney conference call
