Commentary- Herring: A Refreshing Change from Coachspeak |
CLEMSON -- Clemson defensive coordinator Reggie Herring never finds himself at a loss
for words, nor is he likely to back down from a difficult question. Even in the face of growing criticism last season, Herring never shied away from media scrutiny. He answered every question, sometimes before they were even asked. For a sports writer, Herring is a refreshing change from many of those we cover on a daily basis who practice "coachspeak" — the ability to talk for an hour and say nothing. Thursday, as a guest on my daily radio show, Herring was as good as advertised. Witness a random sampling of quotes: — On Paul White, who has been Clemson's most impressive defensive lineman this spring, but has an indictment on federal counterfeiting charges hanging over his head: "The young man made a mistake, but by no means is he a bad person...He's never been in an ounce of trouble here. He's always been a great kid, and he made a mistake. Hopefully that won't cost him his career and life because the kid is not a criminal, and is not a bad person. He made a dumb decision. "Now, if this had been a string of things it would be the other way around. But it would be a tragedy if he's not here with us." — On the public and media who question whether White should even be allowed on the team: "This is where the media or public probably doesn't understand the dynamics of college student athletes. (The public or media) did not look those parents in the eye and say 'when he gets here we're going to treat him like our own son.' That's how you lead into it. "We're going to do everything we can to raise him, and discipline and structure his environment so he can be a success. We will treat him like our own son...Your son has always been a good kid all his life, you've raised him and he's never been in trouble, ever. He makes a poor decision one time, and you tell me you're going to say 'get rid of that kid, throw him out, he's no good?'" — On losing senior safety Robert Carswell to graduation: "Eric Meekins is more talented than Robert Carswell, but I think the biggest thing is we can improve that position period whether Carswell was here or not. I don't think Robert had an exceptional year as a senior. I thought it was very average, if we want to speak in reality and truth. We're replaced him with someone with more ability, but now it comes down to dependability and accountability." — On whispers that last year's late-season struggles might have his job in jeopardy: "When you've never been in this position it's easy to (scrutinize). The quick-fix thing is throw the coach out and move on. The bottom line is I don't worry about that stuff. All I care about is how my boss and the board of regents feel, to tell you the truth. And my boss knows the intangibles and dynamics of what creates problems on a team and what the reasons are. "I'm sure if I was the problem there'd be a change made, and I'd accept it and move on...Look, I've already been fired here once. I've seen the ugly side of college football, and to be honest with you, you can heat me all you want. I'm not going to melt." — On his focus of taking away the opposing offense's big play, which plagued Clemson down the stretch in 2000: "That's what we're stressing. They better. We've lost a bunch of players and we've got a bunch of no-name guys. But I like our kids, I think they've got a great attitude and they work hard." Dan Scott is the host of SportsTalk (10AM-Noon) on 104.9 FM in Upstate SC and Managing Editor of Seneca Daily Journal/Clemson Daily Messenger
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now