CLEMSON – One part of Clemson’s football program that has shone brightly is the intentionality and value of its assistant coaches.

Head coach Dabo Swinney has shown that he wants people of value, who work hard and want to build the culture around the Tigers. His staff, ranging from his coordinators to analysts and support staff, all have deep Clemson ties and intent behind them.

At Clemson Football’s Media Outing Tuesday, their stories and dedication for Clemson stood out.

One such member of the program is Thomas Allen, son of Clemson’s new defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, who left Penn State to join Swinney and provide new leadership on defense. A former linebacker at Indiana under the head coaching of his father, Allen joined the Tigers as a defensive analyst and assistant linebackers coach around the time his father accepted a job there.

“I see him more than I ever saw him as a player,” Allen said. “It’s a lot of fun. Being able to do that with your father, you really can’t pass up. You remember these things for the rest of your life.”

Being able to bring his knowledge and skills as a linebacker at Indiana, as well as guidance and support from his father, helps Allen be the best he can be in helping out the defense in his new role. Meanwhile, the support of his family in the Upstate provides him with even more support and a reason to be there.

Da’Quan Bowers, who serves as a defensive analyst and assistant defensive line coach, gained his experience while playing for Clemson from 2008-‘10. In his junior year, he won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as college football’s top defensive player, the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s top defensive end and the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year award. After his collegiate career, he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played five seasons before a brief stint in the CFL and then returned to Clemson.

“Going to the pros was a dream, and obviously, playing it at the highest level, you become a coach,” Bowers said. “You watch a lot of film, you break things down, you study opponents, you look for tendencies — you do all of the things coaches do on a daily basis. So, stepping into it from this viewpoint was second nature.”

Bowers credited the community of coaches and players around him, including the leadership of Chris Rumph during his time at Clemson, his learning from Hall of Famers in the NFL like Darrell Revis, Gerald McCoy, and Ronde Barber, and the rest of the resources that were at his disposal. Now, he gets the chance to use all of it to help out the players at Clemson.

“Not a lot of people can say that they were the No. 1 player in the nation coming out of high school and were projected as the No. 1 draft pick coming into my junior year, despite injury,” Bowers said. “Not a lot of people can say that they had an NFL career and then transitioned to college, so I have a different view and a different lens that I try to put into perspective and use when I talk to kids.”

Finally, another staff member who shared their story and how they impact Clemson is Brandon Thomas, who was drafted by the 49ers in 2014 after playing four years for the Tigers as a guard and tackle. Thomas was named first team All-ACC in his junior year and left a huge mark on the program with his leadership and talent.

He briefly played for the Detroit Lions and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL, as well, before returning to coaching.

“I just want to say, I’m blessed to be able to be back here,” Thomas said. “It’s just home for me. It means everything to me to be back here and actually starting my coaching career where I left off, here at Clemson.”

These three are examples of the people who have made their way to Clemson, either for the first time or as a returning Tiger and are using their stories and their passions to make a mark on the program.

Experience is king, and the Clemson staff involves so many former players and members to impact on its younger players and create something new and powerful. To them, Clemson is more than just a school — it’s a family.

“They’re young guys, and I’ve been their age. They haven’t been my age, so I tell them that I’ve been there,” Bowers said. “I know what you’re going through. I know the ups and downs, the highs and lows. I know it, so you can trust me and tell me anything. I just want to be here for these guys.”