Swinney ready to get going

CLEMSON— Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is not one to sit around and wait for things to happen, but since the Tigers concluded their spring practice that is what he has had to do.

Swinney has bided his time by traveling to across the country, meeting celebrities, professional coaches, going to Los Angelas to the ESPYs and even a trip to Italy for his 25th wedding anniversary.

But Tuesday's media day at the Reeves Indoor Complex, signaled the time for sitting around and waiting is nearly over—as football season is upon us once.

"I know that all of the Clemson nation, everybody's excited to get back out in the field. Our players are ready to get back to work on the field. You know, everybody's been grinding since January. It's, there's always a little bit of a misconception. It's like, okay, we're beginning right now, but we're really not beginning right now.

"We're, we're heading into the third phase of our journey. You know, as we, as we break our year down into four phases, this is, this is for our players, the third phase and for our coaches. So, you know, we get ready, we transform and we head into prime time. And so I've been a lot of work going on. But this is, this is the fun part because, because we get a chance to get back on the field and start playing some games"

For Swinney and the Tigers there is an expectation that the Tigers will once again be playing in January for a second straight national title, but, according to Swinney, this is a new team with a lot of unknowns.

"Everybody's got a visual in their mind of that team last year cause I haven't played a game since then, but this is a very different team and everybody's ready to turn the page," Swinney said. "And until you play a game, it's, it's, it's, it's hard to do that I think for a lot of our, our fans. So August 29th to be here before you know it, we've got a lot of work to do with this team.

"We got a lot of work. We're, we're a a, a true work in progress but it's been a good summer. You know, the guys have really handled themselves well. The leadership and accountability has been excellent. Injury wise, we're in a good spot."

Even with the unknowns and an incredibly young team—with 80 of the Tigers' 120 players being either freshmen or sophomores—Swinney still expects his Tigers to compete for the their fifth straight ACC title, which is their only goal on their board.

"I think our team is a, you know, a team that can compete for the league and that's, and that's what we shoot for every year," Swinney said. "We know it's never a goal to win a national championship. And you've heard me say that many times. Those are all those types of things come through. Stay in, focus on, on the, the goals that we have in our program.

"But I do think this team, when it's all said and done, we'll be a team that can compete for the league. And if you can compete for the league, you got a chance for lots of other opportunities. But that's always our focus and won't be any different this year."

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