By Heath Bradley.

By Heath Bradley

CLEMSON – For redshirt freshman Stanton Seckinger, the opportunity to get back onto the football field, was much anticipated.

“Time flies, you just go one day to the next,” the Clemson tight end said Monday. “It has definitely been a while since playing in a legitimate football game. It is definitely nice to have a game like that, get a little playing time, a little game experience.”

After redshirting the 2011 season, Seckinger caught two passes for 27 yards in his first official snaps as a Clemson Tiger.

Those first receptions also came at a different position than Seckinger was originally recruited to play for the Tigers. Following the 2011 season, Seckinger was moved to tight end to help with depth.

“A lot of coaches recruited me as a tight end,” he said. “Coming out of high school at 195 pounds, I was kind of skeptical about that. Here they told me they were recruiting me as a wide receiver, but honestly, I was down for doing whatever the team needed.”

After meeting with the coaches in the spring and learning how the transition from receiver to tight end would benefit him as well as the team, the decision was easy.

“If that was the best thing for the team at that time I told them I was “all-in” to do it,” Seckinger said.

The Isle of Palms, SC native did not have to look far for encouragement, as well as a player to try and emulate. Brandon Ford, the Tigers current starter at tight end, is a converted wide receiver as well. Ford, who spent his early Clemson career as a wide receiver, was moved to tight end in the spring prior to the 2010 season.

Seckinger looks up to Ford, not only as a player, but also as a friend.

“Brandon Ford is an unreal athlete, and he has obviously been able to make the transition very well. Since I have moved to tight end, he has really helped me a lot,” he said. “He has almost been like a big brother to me when it comes to the tight end group.”

Since making the transition from receiver to tight end, Ford has become a go to playmaker for Chad Morris, something Seckinger looks to emulate in his career as well. Being able to see the success from the tight end position, especially Ford, gives Seckinger high hopes for the rest of his career at his new position.

“Seeing the success Brandon is having going from wide receiver to tight end definitely gives it a good positive view on making the switch,” he said.