Dabo's sermon on winning: You can't lose respect of the blessing

Everyone – coaches and players and fans – can lose sight of the joy of winning, Dabo Swinney says.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Aug 07 07:00:05 GMT-04:00 2022

CLEMSON – Dabo Swinney’s message to his players and coaches is the same message he has for Clemson fans: you can’t lose respect for the blessing.

Swinney was asked about last season’s 10-3 record, the injuries, and everything the Tigers faced in a tumultuous season, and he said that last season’s trials act as a motivator heading into the 2022 season.

“I think they've got a healthy perspective. I think they have a unique perspective that really, honestly, no team I've had in a long time has had,” Swinney said. “Honestly, these guys, and it's not their fault, it's just they really haven't had any football adversity, if you will. You guys have heard me say many times, there's a difference between disappointment and adversity, right? I mean, it's disappointing to lose a game. It's disappointing to lose a national championship or a playoff game. That's disappointing. But I wouldn't call that football adversity.

“But 4-3 at Clemson is football adversity. Alright? I was able to coach last year in a way that I really honestly haven't been able to coach in a long time. I really had the opportunity. And there are certain things that you can't teach on the mountaintop if you will. None of us like adversity, none of us like disappointment, but they're all good for us. It's all about how you respond. I told the team last year, being 4-3, that's not going to define us. What's going to define us is how we finish. And man, I'm really proud of that team and what they went through.”

Swinney then said that winning at the highest level isn’t easy and mentioned Alabama’s record in the last five National Championship games.

“So, I think that's a good perspective for these guys that they have coming into this season. I think probably, as I said many times, a reset on the appreciation of winning and what it takes to win and how hard it is to win is needed,” Swinney said. “It is not easy to win. It is incredibly hard to win.

“Alabama in their last five National Championship games - they've been the best of the best. I think we can all probably agree with that, right? They're 2-3 in those National Championship games, with two blowouts. It’s freaking hard. I don't care how good you are, how much you’ve won, it's hard to win, and it's even harder to win consistently.”

Everyone – coaches and players and fans – can lose sight of the joy of winning.

“I was watching a guy the other day, he was speaking, and that's what he was talking about, man, you can't lose respect for the blessing,” Swinney said. “Sometimes you can win so much, and it's the same thing for your fans. You can win so much, you can lose respect for the blessing, or more importantly, you can lose respect for what it takes. And that's the message I've had with our guys since January, is, I wish I could change what it takes, but I can't change what it takes.

“It takes what it takes, and you got to be willing to do what it takes. You have to be willing to pay the price. One of my favorite quotes is, there's nothing more common than unsuccessful people with talent. There's nothing more common than unsuccessful teams with talent, you’ve got to be willing to pay the price. And again, it's been fun because I was able to really kind of teach in the valley last year in a way that I haven't had the opportunity to in a long time.”

Clemson finished the season by winning its last six games and now has the longest winning streak in the Power Five. It also has an appreciation for what it takes to win.

“I love how those guys responded. I love how they responded. They went from 4-3 to the longest winning streak in the Power Five and had a great finish, and we weren't really very good, but we just kept finding ways to win, and that's what good teams do; that's what culture does,” Swinney said. “And even the games we lost, they still had a chance to win every game, and they just kept believing, even with the disappointment and adversity and challenges and injuries and all these things.

“They've got a good perspective, and I think had a reset on the appreciation of winning, what it takes to win and how small that margin for error is. I love their mentality, their mindset, and I think that'll serve everyone well as we go through the season and, even our fans. I'd say the same thing for our fans. Again, you can win so much you lose respect for what it takes or the blessing of it, and it's hard. There are only two teams of 11-plus 10-win seasons. There's a reason why there are only two. It's really hard to win.”