Cool moment for a longtime Clemson staffer

During Saturday’s Orange & White Spring Game at Death Valley, Clemson let its former longtime trainer know how much the Tigers appreciate him. Clemson recognized Danny Poole during the spring game and thanked him for his nearly 40 years of service …

During Saturday’s Orange & White Spring Game at Death Valley, Clemson let its former longtime trainer know how much the Tigers appreciate him.

Clemson recognized Danny Poole during the spring game and thanked him for his nearly 40 years of service to the Tigers’ student-athletes. Head Coach Dabo Swinney announced in early February that Poole would be stepping away from his day-to-day role as head athletic trainer to move into an administrative capacity.

Swinney presented Poole with a commemorative frame featuring a jersey with the number “39” — the number of years he spent caring for Clemson student-athletes — as well as a written and signed message from Swinney. As Poole was recognized, Clemson players applauded for him in the background and some chanted “MVP.”

You can check out the cool moment for Poole in the following video from Clemson Football’s Twitter account.

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Nice honor for longtime Clemson trainer

On Feb. 10, the South Carolina House of Representatives introduced and adopted a resolution to recognize and honor athletic trainer Danny Poole for his nearly 40 years of service to Clemson student-athletes. Head Coach Dabo Swinney announced in …

On Feb. 10, the South Carolina House of Representatives introduced and adopted a resolution to recognize and honor athletic trainer Danny Poole for his nearly 40 years of service to Clemson student-athletes. Head Coach Dabo Swinney announced in early February that Poole would be stepping away from his day-to-day role as head athletic trainer to move into an administrative capacity.

A total of 121 representatives sponsored the resolution, the full text of which is copied below.

H. 4953

A HOUSE RESOLUTION

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR DANNY POOLE, CLEMSON UNIVERSITY HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER, FOR HIS LONG AND DISTINGUISHED CAREER, TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RECENT RETIREMENT, AND TO WISH HIM MUCH SUCCESS IN ALL HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

Whereas, it is with great pleasure that the South Carolina House of Representatives celebrates those individuals who give tirelessly of themselves to educate the young people of this great State; and

Whereas, prominent in the roll call of such benefactors to our youth is Clemson University’s recently retired head athletic trainer, Danny Poole, who in nearly four decades of service at Clemson made sure his student athletes were physically ready to be successful in all their games and competitions; and

Whereas, Danny Poole graduated from Western Carolina University with a degree in health and physical education in 1979. In that same year, he was published in the NATA Journal for the “D.P. Method for Blisters.” He added a master’s degree in health education from Memphis; and

Whereas, he is a veteran of over four decades of full-time experience in his field. In 1979, he served as head athletic trainer for the Carolina Chargers of the American Football Association. In 1980, he became an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Memphis. He came to Clemson in January 1984; and

Whereas, at Clemson, he oversaw a department that attends to the athletic training needs of more than five hundred athletes. In addition, this Clemson legend directed a staff of eight full-time athletic trainers, nine graduate assistants, and approximately sixteen undergraduates; and

Whereas, Head Coach Dabo Swinney offered this praise of Danny Poole: “Danny has been at Clemson for almost forty years. He’s been the head trainer here for about twenty-two years. I’m so thankful and appreciative of him. He’s retired from being the full-time trainer, but he still wants to serve Clemson and will still have a role in the athletic department.” Coach Swinney also offered his gratitude to Beth Poole, Danny’s wife, who supported Danny throughout his long career with the Tigers; and

Whereas, in 2001, Danny Poole was honored by his peers with the Athletic Trainer’s Service Award, presented by NATA to role models and leaders in the field. In 2010, he was named president of the Atlantic Coast Conference Sports Medicine Association and served two terms in that capacity. He also served on the advisory board for several knee brace companies; and

Whereas, in 2010, he earned the Fred Hoover Award of Excellence, a high honor bestowed by the South Carolina Athletic Trainers Association; and

Whereas, grateful for Danny Poole’s legacy of consistent commitment and excellence, the House takes great pleasure in wishing him well as he enters retirement and trusts he will find much enjoyment in the more leisurely pace of the days ahead. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Danny Poole, Clemson University head athletic trainer, for his long and distinguished career, congratulate him on the occasion of his recent retirement, and wish him much success in all his future endeavors.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Danny Poole.

–Courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications

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Clemson Football loses longtime staffer

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced during his National Signing Day press conference on Wednesday that the Tigers are losing a longtime staffer. Swinney said longtime trainer Danny Poole will no longer be the fulltime trainer and instead will …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced during his National Signing Day press conference on Wednesday that the Tigers are losing a longtime staffer.

Swinney said longtime trainer Danny Poole will no longer be the fulltime trainer and instead will transition into a position with new athletic director Graham Neff.

This story will be updated.

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Zanders’ injury in 2020 had bigger impact than thought

Lannden Zanders missed a pair of games in the middle of the season last year due to a shoulder injury but outside of Clemson nobody knew how bad the injury was or that the safety endured injury for the entire season. The junior informed members of …

Lannden Zanders missed a pair of games in the middle of the season last year due to a shoulder injury but outside of Clemson nobody knew how bad the injury was or that the safety endured injury for the entire season.

The junior informed members of the media of that he dealt with injury from the middle point of fall camp throughout the season after he tore his right labrum and part of his rotator cuff. The injury proved serious enough to warrant surgery but after talking to the team doctors and coaching staff he decided to postpone the procedure and play through the pain.

“I got here and thought I was playing my best football but then I tore my shoulder in fall camp,” Zander said after Thursday’s practice at Jervey Meadows. “I was talking to the doctors and they said I would need surgery so all year I was mentally down, not really focused on football and just wanting to protect myself and that really affected my game.”

Zanders entered Clemson with high expectations and struggled at times last season to grow into his starting role at safety opposite Nolan Turner.

He showed flashes of his full potential last season and recorded 34 tackles, five tackles for loss, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a sack in 10 games and nine starts. Zanders admitted that he probably played at about 65-to-70-percent last season because he was worried about protecting his right shoulder that he estimated popped out of place at least once per game.

“Yeah, definitely I’m more of a head up guy now with my weight,” he said. “But with my shoulder last year I was favoring it and not trying to pop it out again, so it definitely affected me mentally and the way I make tackles.”

“I was trying to and I really messed up my angles and how I was coming down so it really got to me,” Zanders continued.

Zanders faced a scare at Notre Dame when he made a hit and messed up some nerves in his right shoulder. He said it caused his right arm to go limp which explains why he missed several weeks before making his return in the ACC Championship Game against the Irish.

But now Zanders is finally at 100-percent and added some weight as he weighed in at 217-pounds to start camp, up from 200-pounds in 2020. He’s ready to avenge his mishaps from last season and show Clemson fans and himself what he’s capable of when healthy.

“I know what I can do, I know last year wasn’t my best but I don’t have anything to prove to anybody I’m just going to go out there and play football like I know I can,” Zanders said.

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