CJ Spiller was made to be a coach: "This is my calling."

Spiller wants to make an impact on the lives of his players.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Mar 25 08:01:03 GMT-04:00 2021

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has been preparing CJ Spiller for a coaching career since Spiller was a player for the Tigers. Over the years, Swinney has let his first 5-star know that when he felt like he was prepared to coach -- to let him know. Spiller let Swinney know last year that he was prepared.

Spiller was named the Tigers’ running backs coach after the bowl game, stepping in for Tony Elliott, who moves over to coach the tight ends. Spiller has been around the program for years, but last year when he felt like he was getting closer to coaching, he asked Swinney for more access. Why? He wanted to be sure this is what he wanted to do.

It was, and now he’s prepared.

"I just knew that this was my calling," Spiller said. "I know some people say, 'This is their job,' to me, this is my calling. I got that itch when I was helping with those high school students, and that's kind of where it started. I didn't know how quickly it would come.

"I was always praying on it, but I was prepared. I was always preparing myself for when that time does come, but there are still some things that I will learn along the way. I'm not going to sit here and say I know everything because I'm new to it, but I think last year gave me a jumpstart of what to expect and being able to sit in on coach (Tony) Elliott's room, and to see how he commanded a room, the way he engaged with the guys, he gave me a first glimpse of what it takes to be successful. So I'm always going to be grateful for coach Elliott (for that)."

Spiller knew is time as a coach would come, he just didn’t know when. In the meantime, he stayed patient and waited for the perfect opportunity. That opportunity came at Clemson, the place he wanted to call home after graduation.

"I was willing to wait as long as I needed to wait until the opportunity came," Spiller said. "It just presented itself a whole lot quicker than what people probably expected. I don't take that lightly. I'm grateful for the opportunity."

Now, he goes by 'Coach Spiller,' a name he is still getting used to hearing.

"I'm still getting adjusted to (that name). I've been in it now for almost a month, and you hear the players coming and saying, 'Coach, coach Spiller'”, Spiller said. “It takes some time to get adjusted to it...it's not a foreign language to me, but it still takes some time to get used to."

Spiller wants to coach great players, but as part of his calling to coach, he also wants to have an impact on their lives off the field.

"You just want to have an impact on young men's lives. You want to see them become successful," Spiller said. "I think too many times, they think of the NFL. To me, it's life. How can you inspire others around you? Through my experiences throughout life, I'm able to share that knowledge. How does it benefit me to keep all of that knowledge and wisdom that I was able to experience and not share it with these guys? That's why I think it's a calling. I love seeing young men go out and be successful in life.

"When you have a guy come back 10, 15 years down the road and they tell you they appreciate the things you instilled in them outside of just football. It's not just about football here at Clemson. It's about life. One day we all know you're going to get that curtain call in football, but life is going to still go on. That's where my job comes in, that you're ready to take on life."