Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney looks on during the Atlantic Coast Conference championship NCAA college football game against North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
AP
Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney went viral Wednesday for describing his program as being built on “God’s name, image and likeness” during a national signing day news conference.
Speaking after Clemson signed the nation’s No. 11 recruiting class of 2023, Swinney told reporters that the Tigers briefed prospects on NIL opportunities but didn’t lead with the subject.
Rather, he said, the school incorporated it into what he described as a “holistic approach” to recruiting that hasn’t changed since he was hired in 2008.
“Conversations have changed,” Swinney said. “There’s been more to talk about. Just like with applied science and nutrition and strength and conditioning and all those things. This is just another area that’s important. You’ve gotta make sure that you address it.
“Honestly, I was thinking about it this summer … and honestly, for me, we built this program on NIL. We really did. And it’s probably different than what you’re thinking of. We built this program in God’s name, image and likeness.”
“That’s how I look at it. As things have changed, God has always been the foundation of what I do. We’ve been dealing with his name, image and likeness for a long time. And I think as this new era has come forward, God just continues to bless us here at Clemson.”
Chapel Fowler has covered Clemson football, among other topics, for The State since June 2022. He’s a Denver, N.C., native, a 2020 UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus and a pickup basketball enthusiast with previous stops at the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer and Chatham (N.C.) News + Record. His work has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the North Carolina Press Association and the Associated College Press.