C.J. Spiller Hitting Ground Running as Recruiter
One of the biggest recruits in the history of Clemson football has now seen his career come full circle.
Legendary running back C.J. Spiller is entering his first season as the Tigers running backs coach and while he is very much looking forward to his duties as a coach on the field, he's also looking forward to the recruiting aspect of his job with the same level of excitement.
In an exclusive interview with All Clemson, Spiller said after spending the first few months of his new career recruiting from afar due to the dead period, he can't wait to actually get out on the road and start recruiting.
"I'm looking forward to it," Spiller said. "Obviously it was a bunch of phone calls and emails this past spring, but hopefully this fall we're able to get out a little bit some. I'm anxious and excited about that aspect of it."
The former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills said while many of the coaches out on the recruiting trail are familiar with him as a player, he is ready for them to get to know C.J. Spiller the person.
"A lot of these coaches know me as the player," Spiller said. "I think this spring was a great opportunity for them to get to know me as a person. I don't want them just to know me as an individual that played this game but I want them to know me as a human being."
A big part of recruiting is about relationships and Spiller said it's easier to build those types of bonds face-to-face.
"I'm looking forward to getting out and meeting some of these coaches face to face, shaking their hands," Spiller said. "I think you can get a lot out of a person when you can look him in the eye, get a better feel for him. That's the part that I'm really excited about it, just letting them get to know me and vice versa."
Spiller is also anxious to see just how different the recruiting world is from the perspective of a coach and while he said he plans to spend a lot of time recruiting in Florida, he doesn't plan to restrict himself to any one area. He is excited about getting out and finding the type of players that fit the Clemson culture, no matter where the road might take him.
"It's gonna be interesting to see how that's evolved from, you know, the hometown kid to as a recruiter for your school," Spiller said. "I'm out to really just find great young men that fit our culture. Whether that's Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, that's where I'll be."
