Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has been the prime target of criticism when it comes to the woes of the Clemson offense over the course of the last two seasons. However, over and over again, the Clemson coaches and the entire team has praised the signal caller’s poise under the microscope of criticism.
On Monday, the Tigers talked to the media about how the California native has developed such a high level of resilience over the past two years.
Tight end Jake Briningstool shared that he has a high level of respect for the starting quarterback. From the tight end’s perspective, Uiagalelei has led the offense and picked them up when adversity has come their way throughout the course of the season.
“It just comes with the position and all the criticism and everything that comes to it,” Briningstool said. “I think for D.J. especially, everything he has gone through over the past two years, year and a half, I think it has really bettered him and made him a better quarterback, a better teammate, a better leader. I think everything has just been for the positive.
“I love D.J., I would go to war for D.J., I would do anything for D.J. I think just being there for him, giving him his confidence, letting him know that it’s OK to make a mistake, we’ll have your back. I think that’s just really helped him up. We’ve picked him up when he’s needed it and he’s picked us up as an offense when we needed it. We wouldn’t be here without D.J.”
Senior offensive lineman Jordan McFadden believes that Uiagalelei’s ability to brush off the criticism and continue to put his head down is a testament to his character.
“I can honestly say that he hasn’t changed at all,” McFadden said. “When he’s playing, he’s the same person, but maybe when he’s not playing as good that day and that gives Cade (Klubnik) a shot, he’s that same guy. He’s supportive of Cade and the whole offense. He wants to see the offense and the team succeed whether he’s in there or not. As a leader, as a quarterback of the team, that’s tough to watch when you’re not leading the show or you’re not in there, but that speaks of what kind of guy he is. To understand he is maybe not playing his best, but supportive and leading, that tells you what kind of guy he is.
“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever played with. Just year in, year out, last year, this year, every game, whenever something goes wrong, he gets 90 percent or 100 percent of the criticism, but the majority of the time, it’s really not his fault, if we’re being honest.”
No one has more praise for Uiagalelei than Brandon Streeter, who shared that of course the quarterback has faced adversity, but that’s life. The offensive coordinator emphasized that in football, it’s all about how one responds to the adversity they face, and that’s something he believes Uiagalelei has done an excellent job at. When adversity has come the quarterback’s way, he has learned, grown and become the best version of himself.
“I can’t say enough about that kid, about D.J., and his heart, and his character, his perseverance,” Streeter said. “He has never wavered in his work ethic, and we saw some heavy adversity last year and then the best part about it is, you try to learn from the adversity and that’s what he’s been able to do. He’s had some adversity this year too, but he’s able to respond and that’s what life is about.”
