Dabo Swinney uses recent guest speaker to highlight Troy Stellato injury

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told media after the team’s first scrimmage that wide receiver Troy Stellato had torn his ACL the previous practice, and will miss the entirety of this upcoming 2022 season.

“Stellato’s out, Stellato tore his ACL. He had a couple good days but just like all these other injuries, unfortunately that’s kind of been his story really since he’s got here to this point is he’s been injured, he’s not been a guy that’s really been available very much from the day he got here, he’s has a lot of deals. I think he finished spring really well, showed some things then he had two good days in a row taking advantage of his opportunity, so it’s just another setback for him but he’s a redshirt freshman. It’s frustrating but I just tried to encourage him, I mean look at [Brannon] Spector he played two years and here he is,” Swinney said.

Stellato was a highly touted recruit out of Cardinal Gibbons high school in Florida, rated a 4-star prospect and one of the top 30 players in the state and at his opposition in the entire nation according to On3 Consensus. Thankfully, he still has plenty of eligibility ahead of him, as coach Swinney drew from the wise words of a guest speaker that spoke to the Tigers and related it to Stellato’s circumstances.

“He’s still got four years left because he redshirted and if you redshirt and then you lose another season due to injury you automatically get that year, so he’s still got four years left starting next year, it’s all in front of him. You know we had a guy come speak to the team the other day Inky Johnson, I don’t know if y’all have heard of him, you know he’s paralyzed from the arm down, he’s paralyzed on his whole right side and he just talked about having good perspective. They’d [have to] cut his leg off, he’s going to come back. He’s got some great examples on this team, it’s frustrating because the timing stinks and he wants to play, but it’s just a part of his story,” Swinney said.

Clemson is hoping for a speedy recovery from Stellato, as he rehabs and prepares himself for the 2023 season. But this year the Tiger’s fortunately will still be in good hands, as they bolster a wide receiver room with plenty of depth and talent moving forward.

“And again, he just planted and cut, you saw Will Taylor last year nobody even touched him, and that’s kind of how most of these things happen unfortunately. We’ll attack his rehab and get him back spring ready to go and he’s got his whole future in front of him and gonna be a really good player. But you know fortunately, from a depth standpoint, it’s a position we’ve got depth and we’re really fortunate with that, but you know you hate to lose anybody, especially a kid you really see making progress. And he’s really been through a lot but again, he’s gotta keep grinding and keep his perspective and his attitude right and focus on the long term,” Swinney said.