CJ Spiller on Thunder and Lightning, NIL, and recruiting

CJ Spiller said he had a "great spring" recruiting recently.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon May 30 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2022

CJ Spiller is settling in as the Clemson running backs coach, has a great RB group he thinks has a ton of potential, and looks back fondly on his days with James Davis.

Last Monday, Spiller entered another Hall of Fame as he was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame although he was a part of the 2020 class. Spiller still holds ACC single-season and career records for all-purpose yards, posting 2,680 in 2009 and finishing his career with 7,588, which was second-most in FBS history at the time of his graduation.

A three-time All-American in track and first-team strength All-American in 2008. Spiller had an eight-year NFL career from 2010-17 after being the ninth overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. His NFL career included tenures with the Bills, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, and he was a Pro Bowl selection in 2012.

He and college teammate Jacoby Ford remain the only Clemson products ever to record multiple rushing touchdowns, multiple receiving touchdowns and multiple kick return touchdowns during an NFL career. Spiller was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last year.

Spiller was announced as the Clemson running backs coach in January of 2021 and just spent his first spring out on the road recruiting.

“It was a great spring recruiting. First time went great,” Spiller said. “Met some great head coaches. Met some other great assistant coaches on the road. Along the way was able to get my eyes on a lot of great athletes that's out there across this country.”

What was it like playing with James Davis and being a part of the famed “Thunder and Lightning” duo?

“It was awesome. It truly was awesome to be playing with James Davis and ironically, in high school I had a former teammate and we were Thunder and Lightning,” Spiller said. “So going into that role again with James was pretty much just another steppingstone for me, because lightning kind of had been with me since my high school days. And now to have that name carried over to college, it meant a lot. A lot of people don't put a lot into it, but I do because I knew what it meant to me and my family.

“So those fun days playing with him, we knew how to push each other. We knew how to get the best out of each other, and that's what you want as teammates. You want them to get the best out of you and all the teammates that I ever had, they got the best out of me.”

He thinks his current group of running backs is special.

“It is because those guys, they pull for each other, and that's what you want. They pretty much remind me of how me and James were,” Spiller said. “They push each other, they know how to get the best. And the thing, as a coach, I don't have to ask those guys to work hard because they already have that ingrained into them. To me, I'm just trying to teach them nuances of the position. The rest of it is just all God given ability. And just trying to have an impact, not just on the Xs and Os, but just life. Sometimes we just get in there and talk about life itself. So, I'm happy to be a part of those guys' journey so far, and looking forward to continue to build this relationship with them.”

How will he feel if one of his players signs a NIL (Name/Image/Likeness) deal and winds up making more than his coach?

"No, it won't bother me at all. Honestly, I'm happy for the players," Spiller said. "It's well overdue, just continue to just keep the main thing the main thing. And that'll be my message to my guys. As long as we keep the main thing, the main thing. Hey, you go make as much as you want to make. I think a lot of times when guys get sidetracked is when they get in trouble."

Spiller's path to life-changing money came by way of the NFL.

“I loved it. I loved it. Honestly, especially when you grew up in a small town, like Lake Butler, the smallest town in the state of Florida,” Spiller said. “And to even make it to college, was an accomplishment for me. So to then go up and play eight years in NFL, that was a huge accomplishment. So I loved everything about it. It truly opened doors for me and my family. It helped me do things that you only see on TV, honestly, where I'm from. I was able to do some things in this lifetime at a young age that I only dreamed about, honestly. So I have nothing but huge respect for the NFL and all the organizations that I was able to be a part of.”