'Committed' James Skalski leads veteran Clemson defense

CLEMSON — In the era of the super senior, Clemson is in good hands.

Mike linebacker James Skalski is back on campus for his sixth season as a Tiger and the Sharpsburg (Ga.) Northgate High product is entering rarified air. The 240-pound defender is the only player to ever compete in five ACC Championship Games, and his 56 career games played are tied for ninth-most in Clemson football history. The class of 2016 signee has come a long way.

With 210 career tackles and 1,222 snaps played, the numbers are piling up for the former three-star recruit in the 247 Sports Composite but this is not where the veteran brings the most value. The backbone of the defense is someone that defensive coordinator Brent Venables can constantly depend on. The Tigers have a lot of belief in this veteran.

“Experience is everything,” Venables told reporters on Tuesday when asked about Skalski. “Plays so sure of himself. He’s a guy that’s going to grade in the high 90s every practice. This game is really important to him — being a leader. Being a part of the team is really important to him. Incredibly committed, just a tremendous example of what it looks like. He’s signed his name with excellence since the day he got here.”

Clemson heads into the 2021 season with more than 20 players who have started games during their career at Clemson. That is a lot of experience, but someone needs to step up and lead the group. Skalski is the guy for the Tigers after years of consistent hard work, and the coaching staff is appreciative of the things he does for the team.

“Being a leader is not easy,” said Venables. “You just don’t be anointed a leader. A leader is a daily commitment and it’s a very hard, uncomfortable position to be in sometimes. You’ve got to have some broad shoulders and thick skin and you gotta be relentless.”

Every program in college football is trying to build a rock-solid culture. Under Dabo Swinney, that has been created in the Clemson football program. However, individuals must step into leadership positions for that to maintain throughout the years. Skalski is the man for Clemson as the linebacker has turned into a team captain and the heart and soul of the defense.

“He’s our rock,” said Venables. “There’s no question about it.”