Clemson vs. Florida State: Dabo Swinney
Dabo Swinney is experiencing widespread support early on in his tenure as Clemson University's head football coach. A local historian helps to explain how Swinney has touched the community in a short period of time.
Full transcript below:
Clemson student:
- We love Dabo.
Clemson student:
- I love him. He's so cute.
Clemson has fully embraced new head coach Dabo Swinney. A story to illustrate why...
Dr. R.C. Edwards was Clemson University's president for 21 years.
Trent Allen, Clemson historian:
- Dr. Edwards was dying basically. And he was in the hospital. A friend and I went to see him and he couldn't quit talking about the coaching changes. Right about the time of the coaching change a year ago. He said, "That Dabo. That Dabo is special. I love that guy." And all that... so my friend and I both emailed Dabo the next day and said, "He couldn't quit talking about you. It would be great if you could go by and see him. He's not going to last too much longer."
- The following day, he did and he let us know that Dr. Edwards was doing everything humanly possible to get out of the bed because he thought the coach had come to get in to go see the team. And Dr. Edwards since the '70's, probably maybe even earlier, every single sporting event when the team left team he was there to give them a fist pump.
- And so he let us know. He said if you can make it happen we'll get Dr. Edwards to see the team one more time. And so Doc Hoover, a former trainer at Clemson, arranged Clemson EMS to go get him from the hospice house on the Friday before the South Carolina game and put him in his usual spot where he was to see the team off and the next thing you know they were over there. James Davis come over, CJ (Spiller), they would all come over and talk to Dr. Edwards.
- And that was on Friday. Dr. Edwards passed away the next Wednesday. At his funeral, his grandson said his grandmother was at the pearly gates waiting on Dr. Edwards and said, "Where you been?" And he said, "I had to wait and make sure everything was alright."
- Taking that to me he felt that Dabo had everything under control.
Clemson beat South Carolina the weekend before President Edwards died. The Tigers are on track for their first ever trip to the ACC title game in Swinney's first full year as head coach.
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