Dabo Swinney Addresses the Situation Surrounding Kendrick's Departure
Cornerback Derion Kendrick was unexpectedly removed from Clemson's roster Sunday. Dabo Swinney spoke about the issue for the first time on Monday after practice.
"There is really not much to say about that except that he is not with us anymore," Swinney said. "But also I want to say that I love DK. He is a young man that I have always loved as a football player. He has a good heart. He has a really good heart. He has never been a disrespectful young man or anything like that, just sometimes there just needs to be a change.
"Just so thankful to have the opportunity to help him and hopefully make a difference for him. These past three years, I am so thankful for all his contributions to our team and this program. I will be pulling for him wherever his next stop is and will always be for him."
Kendrick missed games for disciplinary reasons throughout his years at Clemson. Last season he sat out the game against Pittsburgh because he was in Swinney's "love shack."
Kendrick entered the transfer portal and will most likely transfer to another program to finish his career. He was expected to be a high draft pick in this year's NFL draft before deciding to return to Clemson.
Kendrick came to Clemson in 2018 as a receiver but was moved to defensive back a year later, where he thrived as a starter.
In 2020, Kendrick had 20 tackles, one for loss, six pass breakups, one sack, an interception, and a fumble recovery that he returned 66 yards for a touchdown. He played 382 snaps in nine games (eight starts) last fall.
