Dabo Swinney reveals special speaker Louis Riddick was impressed by team

This year’s Clemson team has Dabo Swinney fired up. The veteran Tigers head coach is anxious to prove that last year was a fluke, not the new standard. The 2022 team is ready to reclaim their College Football Playoff spot.

When Swinney met with the media the other day, he raved about his team’s focus. How engaged they are in practice and with the culture of this team. And Swinney noted that former NFL player and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick stopped by practice the other day and had the exact same to say. And he knows a thing or two about good football culture.

Here was Swinney on his group’s engagement:

“Oh yeah, they’re just very engaged, very engaged, man. In fact, Louis Riddick came and spoke to our team today and that was one thing he said to me. I mean, just the focus that these guys had, eyes, paying attention, really everybody engaged. That’s what we’ve had from day one with this group. Just a very engaged, focused team.

“I love that. I mean, and they respond, you know. They’re not perfect, but when we really challenge them on something, I mean they respond, which is a sign of good leadership and ownership, and buy-in to what we need them to do.”

Dabo Swinney then went on to discuss how the Tigers are excited to finally get started on padded practices. His players are eager to go full contact.

“They’re hungry to get in pads, you know. So we get the pads on tomorrow. They’re tired of all this,” Swinney said, motioning to all the media and cameras surrounding him.

It’s hard, you know. The way everything’s structured now, you’ve got a lot of days when you’re investing, so it takes a while to really learn how to practice that way. Because they’re ready to go. They’re chomping at the bit to get after it. And they will if you don’t have some type of structure in place.

“So I’m thankful we can get the shoulder pads on tomorrow. Personally, I think it protects us a whole lot more, at least with the shells, when we’re doing our team stuff and things like that. Or just guys falling, you know.”