Tiger fans are some of the most defensive fans in the world. Especially when it comes to the players that give their everything during seasons. That’s been no different during this pandemic. The same can be said for Clemson head coach Christopher “Dabo” Swinney.
That was on display once again Monday when a reporter asked him about QB Trevor Lawrence handling criticism. Especially after seeing what the Tiger record holding quarterback has been through, come back from, and how he has handled himself throughout.
Look at the stances that he was brave enough to take before the season ever started. Those alone show Lawrence’s Character and strength. Standing with his teammates to push for equality and social justice. Another good example of the type of person Lawrence is was put on display when he let his voice be heard along with other high profile football players across the country with the #Wewanttoplay movement.
These examples alone show that Lawrence doesn’t really need anyone to take up for him but nonetheless Swinney did just that when he decided to take on the “thumb gangsters”.
“He’s great,” Swinney said of Lawrence. “He’s got thick skin, and if you’re going to be a football coach at any level – certainly at this level – and if you’re going to be a quarterback at this level or the NFL, you better have some thick skin. We live in a world with a bunch of thumb gangsters. Everybody just attacks you every day, all day. And nobody has to have the facts anymore, it’s just what kind of headline can we get.
“So, you can either handle that or you can’t. You either let that determine your quality of life, or you draw on something else to determine the quality of your life. And that’s what he does.”
“He’s strong in his faith. He knows who he is,” Swinney said. “He’s not trying to be right. He’s not trying to make other people wrong. He is who he is, and if you don’t like that, that’s your opinion, that’s great, doesn’t make you bad. But he’s going to be who he is, and they love him for that.”
If someone does not realize it yet then it’s time that they figure out that Swinney, just like most of Tigernation, is going to take up for his players if he feels that they are being attacked and if you are going to attack them he doesn’t mind calling you out for it.