Clemson returned to spring practice on Monday after having some time off for spring break. However the second half of the spring practice is now in full swing and head coach Dabo Swinney is excited to really see his team start to play.
Here is what we heard:
“The big thing today is that I didn’t want it to look like day 1, and I was pleased with that aspect of it. It is always a get them back going type of a practice in shells, but there was good retention. As far as our practice habits and things that we worked hard in in the first six days, I think we picked up where we needed to be,” Swinney said.
For the most part, Swinney was really proud of the way his team refocused after being away for spring break. However, he had to dismiss cornerback Kaleb Chalmers from the team after he was arrested last Monday.
“He is no longer with us,” Swinney said. “Hopefully, he will finish school and have an opportunity to grow from his mistakes and actions. He is a very talented young man and it is always disappointing when you have somebody that embarrasses your program, but that’s the end of the road for him here at Clemson.”
Although quarterback Deshaun Watson enjoyed his free time, he was excited to get back to practice on Monday.
“It feels good. Break was good, but it feels good just to be back on the grass again and get back at it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Watson said.
While Clemson’s football team may have had a quick break, the baseball team was hard at work. The Tigers won seven consecutive games over the spring break stretch including a 10th inning victory over Boston College in which freshman Seth Beer hit a walk-off home run. Watson mentioned that he was a fan of Beer and he’s proud of the baseball team’s accomplishments.
“I watched the ending. He (Beer) has been killing it man,” Watson said. “I’m a fan of his. I’m a fan of the whole team, really. Whenever I get the chance, I will try to get over there and watch them. I have been watching it from a distance online and on TV.”
Running back Adam Choice had spent the 2015 season with a torn ACL, but now he feels great going into the second half of spring practice. He ultimately feels like his recovery has helped him become a better running back.
“I feel as close to 100 percent as I have ever been. It has been a long process, but I finally feel that good,” Choice said. “As soon as I got back out here and took off the brace and everything, it has been doing really good.”