If you met Dabo Swinney You Would Not Write This
By: will-vandervort August 29, 2023

I am kind of getting tired of people making comments or writing about who they think Dabo Swinney is, when they do not know who he is.

The latest attack on Swinney’s character came after he jokingly made a comment about Duke’s accommodations for the visiting team on his weekly call-in show Monday night.

At Duke, the visiting team dresses in a building behind one of the end zones at Wallace Stadium. To get to the stadium, the visiting team will walk down the side of one of the practice fields and then enter the stadium from the side.

Clemson plays at Duke Monday night to kick off the 2023 season.

Swinney, who also spoke about Duke’s accommodations at the ACC Kickoff last month, said the walk generally takes about two to three minutes. According to the State (Columbia, S.C.) Newspaper’s Chapel Fowler on X, Swinney said, “In college football you barely have time to use the bathroom (at halftime) … We’ll walk briskly.”

From the comments, it’s obvious Swinney was joking, but one writer, who I should not be giving any credence to, took a shot at Swinney’s character. He called Swinney a “goober” and also made fun of the fact Swinney runs down the hill prior to Clemson’s home games, his thoughts on professionalism and his religious convictions.

This guy can write what he wants to write. That is his freedom. However, he should at least get to know the man before making fun of him or questioning his character.

I am not saying Dabo Swinney is perfect because he isn’t. Swinney will tell you he is not perfect.

However, check the facts before you go and write that kind of column. For one, Swinney never said he was against athletes getting paid. He has never said he had an issue with players being paid for their Name, Image or Likeness. In a press conference eight or nine years ago, before NIL was even discussed in college athletics, Swinney was asked about players being paid as professionals.

He disagreed with it and then gave a reason why. One of his reasons was he did not want to devalue student-athletes getting their education.

Man, what a horrible guy. (sarcasm)

To make his point, the writer brought up Swinney’s salary. However, he failed to point out Swinney started out as a graduate coach at Alabama and made little money as he cut his teeth as a college coach.

Even in his first few years as Clemson’s head coach, Swinney took less pay than the market suggested, and he did not take a raise for several years. Instead, he gave it to his assistant coaches so they could make more money.

Yep, that sounds like a bad guy to me. (Lol)

Then he proceeds to take a shot at Swinney running down the hill at Memorial Stadium in Clemson. He said Swinney tries to make Clemson’s famed entrance all about him.

However, if he did his research, he would see Swinney has always run down the hill like this as Clemson’s head coach. When he was the interim coach in 2008, he did it.

Why does Swinney jet down the hill first?

It’s not because he is trying to make it all about him. Pay attention to what he does once he gets down to the field,

He does it so he can get to the bottom and greet his players and shake their hands as they make their way down the hill.

What an awful coach, right? (more sarcasm)

I got an idea. How about people who do not know anything about Dabo Swinney, actually call him up and talk to him for a second. Try to get to know him before writing such an awful hit piece like the one I mentioned above.

Dear Old Clemson has just added Limited Edition signed Cade Klubnik replica road signs to the online store. Get your highway 2 sign today while supplies last!