CLEMSON – Clemson looks to stay undefeated in ACC play, as the 10th-ranked Tigers head to Wake Forest to take on the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Defensive end Jahiem Lawson spoke with the media earlier this week to talk about how he has come along and much more.
–Lawson did not always want to play football, when he was growing up, basketball was his first choice. “I always thought I was going to be a basketball player until my freshman year. Then one day Swinney came up to me and said, ‘You are not going to be a basketball player,’ and eventually I realized how hard it was, so I ended up loving the game of football.”
–Lawson, who grew up in the Clemson area, played running back and wide receiver. After he realized that basketball was not going to be in his future, he joined the football team but wanted to continue playing those positions. He said, “I always loved catching the ball, scoring touchdowns. I always thought that was more fun than tackling. I learned that hitting people is way more fun than scoring touchdowns.”
–Through the five games Clemson has played so far, Lawson said, “I think as a group we still have a lot to work on, but I think we’ll be great. I think we are going to be a really good unit in the future.” When asked about the performance in the game against Florida State he said, “I thought we played okay, definitely we could do better. Definitely a lot of technical things we could have done better.”
–Growing up around the Clemson area and having his brother, Shaq Lawson, play at Clemson, he always knew he was bound to be a Tiger. “Seeing the environment, seeing the people around this place, everybody’s great.” He added that having his brother close was “extremely fun watching him play.”
–The redshirt sophomore spoke highly of what defensive ends coach Chris Rumph has added to his game. “More swagger,” Lawson said. “He is a high, intense person. He is going to get on you if he needs to get on you, but he’s a loving coach. That’s what I think our group needs…I love him, he’s a good dude.”
Clemson plays at Wake Forest Saturday (noon, ESPN).