Clemson LB Reflects on Adversity as Tigers Battle Through 2025

Adversity is the perfect — and only — word to describe this 2025 Clemson Tigers team and how their season has panned out through 12 weeks.

Coming off a CFP appearance, head coach Dabo Swinney and his squad were fired up for another run; this time with the program’s fourth national championship in sight. Analysts and fans across the country had the Tigers right in the mix, especially with the team returning 80% of its roster.

However, it quickly fell flat as Clemson sat unranked with a 3-5 overall record following a heartbreaking 46-45 loss to Duke in Week 10, a moment that all but sealed its playoff hopes. But inside the locker room, the message shifted from expectation to accountability.

This past Wednesday, Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown told the media what defensive coordinator Tom Allen said to the defense after allowing a season-high in yards (439) against the Blue Devils.

“[He said] Nobody’s coming to save us,” Brown shared. “We still have a season to finish, so going out there and finishing the season strong is the only thing we can do. There are going to be a lot of things in our lives that are going to be a lot harder than how the season has gone. Being able to finish the season strong and fight for myself and the people on this team is going to set me up in life when I face something that’s going to be a lot harder.”

For some players, those harder moments have already arrived. True freshman running back Gideon Davidson recently shared that his hometown in Africa was devastated by flooding, forcing him to relocate and be adopted; a stark reminder of the real adversity many on this roster have faced long before this season.

Coach Swinney shared a similar sentiment with the freshmen and sophomores, bringing them together for a post-Duke meeting to encourage and check in on each class, while also opening the door for honest conversation as the season shifted.

“[He was] basically just saying we got to keep fighting,” Brown explained. “The sophomores had a good year last year. We won the ACC Championship and went to the playoffs. Then, we’ve had a not-so-good year. So, we’ve had a unique perspective of being on both sides of it. We understand that we know what it looks like and know what we have to do. Coming back next year and the years following, we’re going to work and do what’s required to win.”

Brown’s reflection lined up closely with Swinney’s own view of the meeting, saying that it’s one of the few positives he’s taken away from this season filled with ups and downs.

“It was great,” Swinney said when asked about the meeting. “That’s between me and the players. I meet with guys all the time, but specifically, where we were at that point in the season, I really wanted to meet with each group: first year, second-year, third-year guys. I meet with the seniors twice a week as it is. But it was good. It was very good. That’s actually one of the positives from this season: I’ve been able to have some conversations that I might not have had if everything had gone exactly the way we wanted. There’s a lot of growth in those guys and good communication.”

Since these strong words were spoken by Allen and Swinney, the Tigers have been able to push through, winning their past two contests against Florida State and Louisville to put them at 5-5 and in place for a bowl game appearance this 2025 post-season

On top of that, Brown has been one of the brightest spots on the defensive side of the ball and the team as a whole in the two-game span, racking up 20 tackles, four for a loss and two sacks.

But numbers only tell one part of the story. For the sophomore linebacker — and many other players — this season’s adversity has helped shape him in far more meaningful ways than just productivity on the field.

“I really learned how to dig deep,” Brown stated. “I learned how to go inwards of myself and find things I didn’t know I would have to find at the beginning of the year—understanding how to fight real adversity. I feel like my relationship with Christ has grown a lot this year. In a lot of ways, it’s been a really good year.”