Before the start of fall camp Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said he only needed one thing from Andrew Booth this season: availability.
Booth showed flashes of greatness in 2020 with incredible athleticism and a knack for the big play. His performance earned him second team All-ACC honors as a sophomore despite missing a game and only starting in four contests.
But this year Booth feels better than ever physically and thinks everything is coming together both physical and mentally.
“It was really just health last season, staying healthy was about it. But now I’m tying everything together film, being a smarter athlete in there and mixing it in with the athleticism so I’m more than just an athlete out there,” Booth said.
Last season Booth recorded 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions, a sack and a 21-yard fumble for a touchdown against Syracuse in 11 games and four starts.
He missed time due to injury and also missed the first half against Boston College after he was ejected from the second half of the game at Louisville for throwing a punch.
The lack of availability kept Booth from reaching his full potential in 2020 and he hopes to change that this season.
Through the first week of camp Booth has started to separate himself from the pack in the corner backs room and is serving as a leader in the unit.
A big part of his offseason regiment included a focus on taking care of his body and staying in the best shape possible and Booth found that solution in hot yoga which he continues to practice at least twice per week.
“I definitely picked it up a little bit I did some yoga which helped a lot and I’m still doing a little bit of that,” Booth said.
At the end of the day Booth realized that consistency outways the big play and focused on growth in the largest component of football, mental fortitude.
“It’s really 90-percent mental and 10-percent physical out there with splits, formations and that’s the big idea out there,” Booth said.
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