Dabo Swinney On Allegations: ‘I Love Deshaun Watson, He Is Like a Son To Me’

If there is one person who isn’t going to write off Deshaun Watson, it is Dabo Swinney.

The Clemson head coach spoke with the media after Monday’s practice about a number of things, including the recent allegations against his former quarterback, and he made his feelings about his former player quite clear.

“Disappointed to see his name in the news and all that is going on,” Swinney said. “Look, I love Deshaun Watson. He is like a son to me. That is how I love him.”

Swinney said that during his time at Clemson, Watson was a model of excellence.

“Three years here, as a player, I think I had a chance to yell at him one time because he was five minutes late to a team meeting that he overslept for,” Swinney said. “And that is it. That is the Deshaun I know. I can only base my thought on my experiences with him, which have been wonderful. Again, I love him like a son and we will just have to see where everything else goes from there.”

The relationship between Swinney and Watson goes back much further than his three years at Clemson, and while the Tigers’ head coach won’t comment on the legal issues for obvious reasons, he did say that the allegations were completely out of character when it comes to the person he knows the Houston Texans’ quarterback to be.

“As far as all the legal stuff and all of that, that will all take its course and all of that stuff,” Swinney said. “We certainly can’t speculate or comment on any of that stuff. All I can tell you is that I have known Deshaun since he was in the ninth grade. And that he has been nothing but exemplary in every area that I have ever known him in.”