All In for Life: Christopher Vizzina, Dabo Swinney, and a special football

Vizzina has had a signed football from Dabo Swinney since he was in the sixth grade.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Apr 15 08:00:05 GMT-04:00 2022

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney signed a football for Christopher Vizzina when Vizzina was in sixth grade, and the ball sat in the Vizzina basement until last week when it played an integral role in a big-time commitment.

Clemson received a commitment from the 2023 4-star quarterback (6-3, 200) out of Birmingham (AL) Briarwood Christian School on Tuesday. He chose the Tigers over a final list of Auburn, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Ole Miss.

He visited Clemson on Monday of last week, and then surprisingly returned for last weekend’s spring game. It was after the game that Vizzina surprised Swinney with his commitment, something he made public on Tuesday.

Vizzina spoke with TigerNet to discuss how the commitment and video went down.

“So on the video and stuff, my school was making me a really cool video,” Vizzina said. “We were trying to think about something cool we could add at the end that nobody's ever seen before. Because if you look at DJ's (Uiagalelei) commitment video it was kind of like him and Coach Swinney at midfield.

“And so we were like, well, why don't we just video me telling Coach Swinney? Because I'm sure that's what everyone wants to see. And so we got it passed with the Director of Recruiting, Jordan Sorrells, and he got us a good videographer and it was just an idea and something me and my family will watch forever and have forever. So, it was really cool, but Coach Swinney, he did really good, said some really nice stuff for the video and everything. So, it was really cool and I'll always have it.”

Vizzina said he feels like Swinney knew a commitment was coming because of the second visit within a week, but Swinney still had a special message.

“Just from the beginning he's always felt like I've been the perfect fit, on the field, just how they play, how they run the offense, what type of quarterback I am,” Vizzina said. “And then off the field he thought I fit everything that Clemson is. And so, I think he's always really wanted me. And when I told him that I was coming he was ecstatic. But like I said I think he was expecting it. This whole time he's been trying to get me so that meant the world to me.”

A little over midway through the video, Swinney mentions the football, which he then learns has made the trip from Alabama to Clemson.

“So my dad, when I was in sixth grade, somehow got Coach Swinney to sign that for me. It's always been in my basement in the glass case,” Vizzina said. “And I've always just looked at it. It meant a lot to me but over time you don't always look at it as much anymore. But he signed it ‘CV’ and everything. When I knew I was going to go back and tell him, I thought it would be pretty cool to show him this football and show him how much it meant to me when I was little.

“I brought it to him and he knew about it because I had showed it to him on FaceTime, but he was surprised I brought it. And he ended up actually signing it for me again after that. And it has the date 4/9/22 and it says ‘All In for Life’ and he signed it Coach Swinney and it says Clemson on it. So that meant the world to me, because he signed it two times. But the first time he signed it he probably never thought that something like this would happen.”

Vizzina said he never felt destined to be a Tiger, but he learned that Clemson is about so much more than football.

“Not completely because just growing up in the south, it's all SEC ball, but outside of the SEC I'm thinking Clemson,” Vizzina said. “Clemson ended up being the best opportunity for me all around because just growing up as an SEC fan, you just think about football. But when I went up to Clemson, you know I heard about it, it's like it's football and it's so much more. It was something I can't pass up. If I could go to a huge SEC program, but they're not going to offer me the same stuff off the field, spiritual things and everything. Clemson, to me, had it all and it really just fit who I am. It doesn't fit everybody, but it fit who I am. They bring the right type of people in the culture. To me, it's similar people to that I am but it's also different people that are going to help me grow.”

Now that Vizzina has his Clemson connection, he’s already looking forward to one game on the schedule this season. Briarwood has changed regions and will travel to play Pelham on Sept. 9th. Pelham, of course, is where Swinney played his high school ball.