Time is something everyone has in common. How we use our time, however, is what makes us all different.

Clemson wide receiver Germone Hopper said it has taken him a long time to figure out how to manage his time following Tuesday’s practice at the program’s indoor practice facility.

“What am I doing when I’m not at the football stadium? I am calling Deshaun (Watson) to run some routes in the indoor,” he asked. “I am doing something productive like going in the film room or I am playing games?

“That’s the part I had to mature from. Am I doing stuff on my time off that can help me with my game?”

Hopper was not doing any of that in the spring of 2014, so Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told the Charlotte, N.C. native to stay home until he figured out what his priorities were. It was a hard lesson to learn.

The wide receiver said he never had any issues with his grades. He has always gone to class and study hall. He was doing those things, but while he was there he was not focusing on the task at hand. The same thing was happening in the team and position meeting rooms.

“It’s never been about working. I’m a work-ethic type of guy,” he said. “I put in the work. It is just time management.”

Hopper got better last summer. He came back to the program a new man, but he knew he still had some work to do. So he focused. He started to pay attention to guys like Stephone Anthony, who had great attention to detail, but like Hopper, had to learn the hard way, too.

He also got advice from Bashaud Breeland and Garry Peters, who spent as much time in Swinney’s doghouse his first three years as anyone.

“Talking to some of those older guys, that helped me a lot,” Hopper said.

It helped Hopper catch 27 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns in 2014, but there was still room for improvement. He dropped a couple of passes during the season that could have gone for big gains or touchdowns had he just stayed focused, including one against archrival South Carolina.

But there were some good moments, too. Moments that showed off Hopper’s potential when he stays focused on the task at hand. He caught two of his three touchdowns against North Carolina last season, including a 74-yard catch-and-run from Watson. Then in the Russell Athletic Bowl he stretched out in the end zone to catch an over-the-shoulder 24-yard touchdown from Cole Stoudt.

“Maturity is a big part of it. I’m growing every day,” Hopper said. “I just watched the older guys and watched how they transitioned.  That has helped me a lot.”

This year Hopper is trying to find every way he can to help the Tigers when the season begins on Sept. 5 against Wofford. Besides working at second-team wide receiver, he is slated to start on kickoff and punt returns.

With new guys like Deon Cain and Ray Ray McCloud, the Tigers have even more depth than ever at the wide receiver position, and co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott says he will throw any of them out there at any time so they need to be ready to play.

If that’s the case, says Hopper, then he doesn’t want to let anyone down, especially his mom and Swinney.

“There are a lot of people depending on me to do well. I’m trying not to let anyone down, even Coach Scott,” the junior said. “I’m trying to impress Coach Scott. I’m trying to impress the younger guys that came in. I’m trying to impress my defensive players to let them know I can make a play when it comes down to making a play.”

And most importantly, he doesn’t want to let Germone Hopper down.