What Are We Hearing: Camp Day 2
Brad Senkiw:
The COVID-19 pandemic affected Clemson in a big way this offseason. Nearly 40 positive coronavirus tests were officially announced by the school. Two days into fall camp, it's still having an impact. Key receivers Frank Ladson and Joseph Ngata missed their second practice Friday as they are in some sort of protocol that Dabo Swinney didn't really elaborate on Thursday. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence isn't sure when he'll get those pass-catchers back on the field.
Swinney mentioned Thursday that the first practice felt different with new protocols in place. He was wearing a shield over his face while throwing the football during Friday's warm-ups. Players are having to get used to a different way of doing things at practice. These are all things that are going to become common in college football both in camp and during the regular season for the sport to play this fall.
"It's still practice. It feels almost the same but there are little things you need to remember," Lawrence said. "We wear these (face) coverings that when we have our helmets off we pull up. We try to stay two yards apart, six feet, when we're standing on the sidelines. Not sweating and breathing on each other. Those are the main things."
Zach Lentz:
Dabo Swinney has never been shy when it comes to his optimism about playing football this season. The Tigers' head coach has even caught flak from the national media for his sometimes, seemingly, overly optimistic outlook about football being played.
While the pandemic continues to rage on in the south, and with more and more players—and even teams—opting out of the 2020 season, or refusing to practice, Swinney issued a word of encouragement for those players hoping to have a season—do what is asked.
“The biggest thing I would say to any players out there is be honest and be very, very transparent. This is not a time where you’re feeling something or whatever and you don’t let somebody know," he said. "So just be honest, transparent and follow the guidelines so you can protect yourself, project others, and give yourself the best chance to play.
"We've got an unbelievable plan in place, and we've spent hours and hours and hours and hours with that. Our leadership, the health experts, I defer to them. They've done a great job giving us a plan, and it's our job to execute it."
