CLEMSON FOOTBALL

High character players like Deshaun Watson are high on Clemson's list

"A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting


by - Senior Writer -

A Clemson man needs no introduction.

That phrase has rambled around Clemson for decades, likely a throwback to The Country Gentleman mascot that roamed the sidelines of Clemson sporting events until the early 1970’s. The slogan is alive and well and can be found on shirts and decals anywhere you see the iconic Clemson paw. It now also has seeped into the recruiting culture that head coach Dabo SwinneyDabo Swinney
Head Coach
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has instilled with the Clemson program.

Ever wonder why Clemson and some of its closest rivals aren’t heavily recruiting the same players? According to Thad Turnipseed, the director of recruiting & external affairs, Clemson is going after a certain breed of football player and it doesn’t all rely on athletic ability – it’s also about character.

The paw just makes it easier to look for that certain player.

“It's easy to sell the Paw. The paw is powerful, and nationally the paw is recognized,” Turnipseed told the media recently. “Everybody wants to be a part of it. The culture in place here that he (Swinney) has put in place here over the years here recruits itself for the Clemson-type of player that we want. The good kid - academics mean a lot and character means a lot. Those kids come here to see the culture and it recruits itself at this point.”

Turnipseed said the evaluation process begins with what he and his staff see on social media – how much does the prospect post? Is he the right kind of person? Is he controversial? It all weighs heavily into recruiting.

“I have seven guys who follow all of these guys on social media, and they can tell me what they are saying and I can tell Jeff ScottJeff Scott
Asst. Coach (WR) / Recruiting Coord.
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, ‘here is what they are saying’ and we can tell if they are a Clemson fit,” Turnipseed said. “Everybody on that board can play, but how many are Clemson people? That is what we do, we help define through social media and when they are on campus and here on recruiting visits and game day. We gather on Monday and we say, 'hey what is this guy like? Is he talkative? Did he say the right things? Is he somebody that might belong here?'

“So even though on the board I might have him at a "10" athletically I might have him just the opposite oncharacter. And Coach Swinney really puts a lot of emphasis on that Clemson character. That is why we tell our kids to be careful what they put out there. It's all out there forever and the NFL people go back and look at what you said in high school. It plays a large part in determining if someone is a Clemson guy. My role - and one thing we do here is play by the rules better than anybody in the country - it's illegal for my department to evaluate talent. It's not my job to say this guy is a good player. My job is to say, 'Hey coaches, this is who you want.'”

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Subject (Replies: 43) Author
spacer New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
TigerNet News®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
NickerCU
spacer This is why we don't recruit people like Blackshear
Marshall®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
tigered1®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
TX Tiger®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
rmpeden
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
kiknchkn®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
rolln1103
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
whatweeatin
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
tigermat
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer You can't expect a coot to understand how to do math***
CTiger423®
spacer Of the 30 recruits $CU signed, Clemson offered 10 of them
BigCUFan®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
gottigers81
spacer The cluckers made the conscious decision years ago....
BigCUFan®
spacer Re: The cluckers made the conscious decision years ago....
Litefoot
spacer Re: The cluckers made the conscious decision years ago....
kiknchkn®
spacer Get off your sister for a sec and listen up.
bowlhunter
spacer Re: Get off your sister for a sec and listen up.
kiknchkn®
spacer What's this "we" stuff.....coot!***
bowlhunter
spacer Yet somehow Swag slipped through the cracks.***
Completely Solid Orange
spacer Turnipseed wasn't here when we recruited Kelly
bowlhunter
spacer His comments on screening recruits Twitter behavior
Completely Solid Orange
spacer So you are saying that Turnipseed failed
phonograf®
spacer No, that is not what I'm saying. Turnipseed has done an
Completely Solid Orange
spacer The one token clucker trying his best....
ALLIN4CU®
spacer Re: The one token clucker trying his best....
Tailboard73
spacer Yet it appears that he plays for a different program.
ShawnC
spacer Re: Yet somehow Swag slipped through the cracks.***
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Look, I thouroughly support the way Dabo runs the program
Completely Solid Orange
spacer Turnipseed was at the University of Alabama
phonograf®
spacer I was under the impression that we were recruiting based on
Completely Solid Orange
spacer Yes, because he's still on the football team, huh??
Tigerman1978
spacer good article, as usual, Mr Hood***
NoIntroduction®
spacer Another element of Dabo's inordinate insight is revealed
ithaca
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
Dugatiger®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
tiger67
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
Yoshimuf
spacer Question about the social media character thingy:
josephg®
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
Tiger Nana®
spacer i like this.***
freakgeek
spacer Re: New Story: "A Clemson Man Needs No Introduction" spills over into recruiting
leftie