Sideline Observation: Gage Cervenka's Quiet Leadership
There are less than 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the opposing team has just scored a touchdown and called a timeout. The defense will stay on the field in an effort to shut down what will most likely be an attempt at a two-point conversion. If you are offensive lineman Gage Cervenka, you don't watch helplessly from the sidelines while your teammates prepare to defend the lead. You take action.
The opportunity in that moment to build up the defense was not lost on Cervenka. He made a point to go and speak to the players while they huddled on the edge of the field during the timeout.
"It was Gage, a lot of the O-linemen telling us to push through, that they got us, that we were going to work together," Jordan Williams said during Clemson's weekly Monday press conference. "It was really encouraging to hear."
I've only been able to observe Cervenka from the sidelines for a short time, and I can't say I'm surprised by Williams' statement.
Cervenka seems to have a smile for everyone on his team. I've watched him on more than one occasion say something to his quarterback Trevor Lawrence causing Trevor to laugh, to relax or to respond with his own smile. I've seen him do the same for backup quarterback Chase Brice. I've seen him kneel in prayer, alone, before the start of a game.
During home games when Cervenka has an opportunity to interact with fans, he makes the most of it. It only takes a few moments to walk from the bus to the team locker room through a roped off lane lined with thousands of fans, but Cervenka will fist-bump, high-five and shake hands with as many people as he can, especially kids.
However, there is nothing soft about Cervenka. At 6-foot-3, 324 pounds, Cervenka's strength is, well, his strength, according to head coach Dabo Swinney. He has the honor of tying the position record for bench press; he can rep 225 pounds 43 consecutive times. And, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty.
When asked about Clemson's less than stellar run game against the UNC Tar Heels, Cervenka said, "Of course I'm a guy. I want to run the ball all the time. I want to get dirty in the trenches."
Even for all the brute strength and aggressive play during games, his interactions with fans and with teammates are not showy or loud. They don't need to be in order for him to have an impact. It's his steady presence on the field, his maturity and his encouragement in crucial moments that reveal his quiet leadership style.
Just as the Tigers benefited from the charismatic, larger than life leadership of Christian Wilkins last season, they also benefit from this quieter brand of leadership offered by Gage Cervenka. And judging from the Tigers' successful outcome in the game against the Tar Heels on Saturday, they are thriving as a result.
