Will Spiers: Clemson's Quiet Leader

Will Spiers talks about leadership, areas he worked on in offseason to improve his craft

Some positions on the football field are just naturally a "leadership role". As a punter, sometimes you have to be a little more creative in your approach when it comes to leadership. 

For Clemson veteran punter Will Spiers, it comes with taking care of business off the field in the weight room and just how you carry yourself as a student-athlete. 

An original walk-on, Spiers knows all about the grind of being a student-athlete and has emerged as a reliable force in the kicking game for the Tigers. The senior is coming off a 2019 campaign where he averaged 42.3 yards per punt on a total of 53 punts. 20 of those punts were downed inside the 20 and he posted a career-high 13 of 50 yards or more last season. 

In his first media availability of the season, Spiers opened up about what it is like being a leader and P.A.W. Journey ambassador for the Clemson football program.  

"In our position, we don't have as much say, if you will, with the team. But you earn that respect of being a leader through how you work in the weight room or how you lead guys around you," Spiers said. "It comes with character, too. Sticking to who I am and believing in who I am to be a leader." 

The redshirt senior is certainly among the "old heads" of the Tigers gridiron gang and as the case with any good player, he's always working to get better. Throughout the offseason, one of his main focus points was improving his consistency. 

"I feel like for me every year it is consistency. Definitely worked on a little bit of hang time and getting a consistent hang time with sky punts and getting the ball down inside the 20," he said. 

With surging confidence for placekicker B.T. Potter, Clemson's special teams unit can truly live up to its name this fall. 

Spiers declined to say if he's leaning towards returning next season due to the NCAA rule allowing players an extra year of eligibility regardless of if they compete in the 2020 season or not. 

"I've definitely thought about it when that came out but not ready to answer that right now," he said.  

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