Football is back and it's time to 'be about it, not talk about it'

Football is back in Clemson

CLEMSON — A tradition that has become as recognizable around the Clemson football program as Howard's Rock, The Hill or raising championship banners continued Friday, as the 2019 Clemson Tigers took to the practice fields for the first time this fall.

That tradition: the speakers at the practice fields blasting the song, "The Boys are back in town."

And the boys are back in town, officially, as the Tigers officially opened fall practice.

"We've got 27 days until we bring some life into Death Valley," head coach Dabo Swinney said. "I'm really excited to get started. This is always so much fun to be able to get back on the field—doing what we love to do."

 Even after 38 years of football, from Pee Wee to college and now coaching, this is a day that he looks forward to all year long.

"This is my 38th year of football–started tackle football in the fifth grade, so my 38th year and my 30th year of college football," Swinney said. "My 17th year at Clemson and my 11th as the head coach, and, man, it just never gets old when it's time to get back on the field."

While Friday's practice signaled to the fanbase and the media that football season is officially back, the Tigers have been working toward Friday's opening day of camp for at least the last three weeks.

Because Swinney does not want to take off without being fully prepped.

"You know, the last three weeks coaches have been kind of going through our checklist—getting everything ready," Swinney said. "I always equate it to getting the plane off the ground. If you're ever on a plane and the pilot just kind of jumps in and takes off, you better hold on. There's a lot of planning, a lot of prepping, a lot of things that you have to do before you ever get the plane off the ground. 

"We spent five days as a staff, kind of reinstalling our program and the last two days doing the same thing with our players, so everyone understands who we are, what we do, why we do things the way that we do it and we're ready to go attack a new season."

The 2019 Tiger team features a bevy of very talented young players, who have walked into a program that less than a year ago finished off a historic 15-0 season. 

But Swinney's message to the 2019 Tigers is the same one that it has been in each of his 11 years as head coach: You haven't done anything yet.

"This is a new challenge. This is a brand-new opportunity and new challenge. This team has not done anything," Swinney said. "This team has not won a single game. This team has won zero games, and we're right there with the rest of everybody else in the rest of the country playing football prepping, practicing, planning and putting the work in and hopefully we can have a great season, but there is a lot of work to be done and you all start at the same spot— you don't carry anything over. 

"All of the preseason talk, and all that mess—it's time to be about it and not talk about it."

Swinney address Tavien Feaster's transfer to South Carolina

"This will be the last time I address it, but it's a good question," Swinney said. "The only thing I am disappointed in is that he is not here. He is a great young man from a great family and we never had a problem with that guy."

"To me, everything should be tied to education. He came in and not only was a great teammate but he was a selfless person and a joy to be around. But at the end of the day he graduated. If he felt like he needed a better opportunity then he earned that right. That doesn't mean I have to like it, but when you come to college and graduate, that's what it's all about. I wish him the best in all but one game. But that's kind of where we are in college football and you're going to see that more and more."