Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney did something I thought was pretty cool this week.
Often times you’ll hear coaches talk about “business trips” and “eyes on the prize” and “tunnel vision” when their teams are playing in big games.
Clemson is ranked first in the country and clearly has a huge game at an iconic venue this week as they’re at No. 4 Notre Dame. But instead of Swinney downplaying the opponent or the venue, he embraced it as it’s Clemson’s first trip to Notre Dame since 1979.
Instead of avoiding the opposing stadium like he said Clemson usually does, Swinney made it a point for his team to have a walk through at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday afternoon.
He then took it a step further and took a tour of the Notre Dame campus.
Enjoyed giving Dabo tour of Notre Dame campus after walk thru today. He has a great appreciation for college football history and respect for Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/YYjmqaaM53
— Tim Bourret (@TimBourret) November 7, 2020
For those that don’t know, Tim Bourret was the football SID at Clemson for 40 years and is a 1977 graduate of Notre Dame. It’s safe to say Swinney saw all the necessary sites on campus that a first-time visitor to Notre Dame needs to see.
Dabo Swinney, #12 winningest college football coach in history, admires statue of Knute Rockne, #1 winningest coach, outside Notre Dame after walk thru on Friday. pic.twitter.com/IcsjZPtZCZ
— Tim Bourret (@TimBourret) November 7, 2020
I won’t say any names (cough, NICK SABAN, cough) but plenty of coaches act too cool or above embracing anything in regards to the history of college football so seeing Swinney eat up some of the landmarks of the campus just over 24 before his biggest game of the regular season is pretty cool to see for this college football fan.