What is greatness?
By: will-vandervort June 19, 2015

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney likes to tell his football team that championships are not won in December or January. No, they are won in June, July and August.

“If you’ll do the common things in an uncommon way, you’ll command the attention of the world,” Swinney likes to say.

The measure of a true champion is what he is doing when no one is watching. What are you doing when there are no cameras? What are you doing when there are not 80,000 people screaming for you? What are you doing when there is no rock to rub or Hill to run down? This is the time when you put in the work. This is the time when you outwork your opponent.

There are two primary things Swinney tells his team before they break for the summer. They have to prove their character and they have to have effort.

Their character is what they do in their everyday walk in life. Are they putting in the work? Are they doing things the right way? Are they doing things on and off the field that will make mom proud? Can they look in the mirror every day and know what they are doing is making a difference. That’s character.

If they are doing those things, then they have to ask themselves this, are they putting forth the maximum effort it takes in their work, in their studies and in everything they do?

If they are doing those things, while displaying good moral and professional character then it will equal to one thing – greatness!

Character + Effort = Greatness

Greatness is the quality of being great, distinguished, or eminent. We are all born with greatness. The question is – are we willing to do what it takes to bring that greatness out?

It seems like Clemson’s football team is doing right now.