Swinney: Trevor Lawrence Going No. 1 is 'Special Moment for Clemson'
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has checked a lot of boxes that make other football programs envious.
He's won two national titles during the College Football Playoff era and six consecutive ACC championships. Only Alabama has been to as many CFPs (6) as the Tigers.
Swinney has produced first-round draft picks at quarterback, receiver, running back, defensive line, linebacker and cornerback.
This is as healthy a program as there is in all of college football. But Thursday night, the Clemson coach crossed another accomplishment off his list when quarterback Trevor Lawrence became the first Tiger in school history to go No. 1 overall in the NFL draft.
"Just super cool moment to be a part of this and a great moment for Clemson, as well," Swinney said during a Zoom media call after the Jacksonville Jaguars took Lawrence. "There's been a lot of things that have happened to Clemson over the years but this is one of them that has never happened. He's the winningest quarterback (in Clemson history), led us to a 15-0 an offseason, now the first number one pick in the history of our school. It was a great moment for everyone."
Lawrence joined baseball’s Kris Benson (1996) and men’s soccer’s Robbie Robinson (2020) as the only players in Clemson's sports history to go No. 1.
Swinney, who's already put together back-to-back top-5 recruiting classes, has another selling point: Clemson can make a player the No. 1 pick in the draft. It's not necessarily one that he needed, but it certainly won't hurt.
And if Lawrence succeeds at the pro level, it'll only enhance a brand that has grown exponentially during the last seven years.
"Just thankful that we had an opportunity to spend the last three years together," Swinney said. "We knew this was a possibility but, you know, it comes down to, putting the work in, day in and day out and it's been a joy to watch him do just that. I mean this guy is incredibly disciplined and committed."
