D.J. Uiagalelei has never pointed fingers.
And we sure know that Clemson’s starting quarterback has worn a lot of the blame.
Speaking with reporters ahead of Clemson’s season opener against Georgia Tech Monday in Atlanta, Uiagalelei acknowledged that he made mistakes last season. That there were some aspects where he could’ve done better fundamentally, as well as from a decision-making standpoint.
He’s learned from his mistakes. He knows that there are different ways he can get better from it.
But how does Uiagalelei see himself compared to last season?
“I think I see a totally different guy,” Uiagalelei said Wednesday. “I think that guy is a lot better than from the last game (against) Georgia Tech. Someone that’s gone through it and someone who’s gotten a lot better throughout the offseason through all the hard work I put in. I definitely see a different quarterback.”
Uiagalelei wouldn’t say specifically if there was a low point during last season but maintained that he feels a lot better now than he did during his sophomore campaign.
“I think I’m just ready to go out for Game 1 and just come out and show the world what I’ve been working on,” he said.
Teammates like K.J. Henry and Will Putnam have seen what Uiagalelei has been working on, ever since he committed to shedding some weight and improving himself since Clemson’s Cheez-It Bowl win over Iowa State.
They’ve also seen him do so while absorbing criticism for his play last season.
“It wasn’t all on him,” Henry said. “And the thing is, the locker room knows that. A lot of the fans don’t. He’s done a great job of taking (the criticism) on the chest. That’s the leader you want to see in a quarterback…I think that’s probably the No. 1 thing is, he’s gonna take the bullet for us as a team, especially the offense, but it’s not always him.”
“First and foremost, it’s just a part of the quarterback position,” Putnam said. “If something goes wrong, they’re gonna get all the blame. If something goes right, they’re gonna get all the glory. I mean, us as a team, we never blamed him for anything. Because as a team, everyone has to take ownership and accountability for all our successes and all of our failures. It has to be unconditional.
“And some of it, it’s not fair. It’s not fair to D.J. Like passes, for example, it’s not always on the quarterback. It can be on the wide receiver running the wrong route. It can be on us up front for not having the best protection that we could’ve had. And then sometimes, he just might make a mistake, which we all mistakes.”
Putnam said that the team is rallying around Uiagalelei, who he described as a “great player” and a “great teammate.”
“We love him and we want to do well,” Putnam added. “And, I think it’s also another thing up front that we’ve kind of taken as a challenge upon ourselves, is to do what we can to put him in the best opportunity for him to make the most plays.”
“I’m unbelievably thankful for all the teammates and especially Coach Swinney, who stood behind my back, stood behind me and supported me through it all,” Uiagalelei said. “I appreciate them, man. I just appreciate them for all they’ve done sticking up for me and representing me. I appreciate that a lot. It means a lot to me.”
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