Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei: 'I'm a Fighter'
CLEMSON, S.C.- Write DJ Uiagalelei off after one subpar season at your own peril.
Youth, inexperience, and a number of injuries all led to an inconsistent Clemson offense in 2021, with the Tigers' starting quarterback shouldering a lot of the blame.
Clemson got off to a 2-2 start for the first time since 2014, before rebounding to finish the season at 10-3. And looking back on it, Uiagalalelei is grateful for the adversity he faced in what the quarterback admitted was the most difficult of his career.
"Yeah, it definitely was," Uiagalelei said. "Just all the stuff going through it, all the adversity that you see. Just like not coming out what you want as planned, like the season. Like going 2-2 (to start the season). I was like 'dang I've never been 2-2 in my life like this before in a regular season.' Just stuff like that. But you know what it was? It was a blessing in disguise and I'm thankful for it."
However, while grateful for the experience, Uiagalelei isn't planning on a repeat performance of the season that saw him throw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9). The quarterback plans to take the lessons learned from all that adversity he faced and use them to make him a better football player.
"I'm a fighter man," Uiagalelei said. "Faced adversity my whole life. It's not going to bother me. I'm just gonna take it on the chin, take it head up. And I'm just gonna continue to keep growing from it, learn from it and just keep fighting."
Uiagalelei suffered from multiple injuries himself, most notably a sprained PCL in his right knee and a broken index finger on his throwing hand. However, he's now fully healthy, and with the Tigers now prepping for a new season, the former 5-star talent is focused on making 2022 his best yet.
"One hundred percent," the quarterback said. "I'm ready to go."
Oddsmakers like his chances to have a bounce-back junior season. Uiagalelei is in the top-5 Heisman candidates for 2022, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Reigning Heisman winner and Alabama QB Bryce Young (+200), Ohio State QB CJ Stroud (+400), QB Caleb Williams (+1400) and Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke (+2000) are ahead of Uiagalelei (+25000).
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