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All-In [44054]
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If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 7, 2020, 2:04 PM
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past or present, what did you think of them?
Let's restrict it to head coaches, with the requirement that you had a conversation with them (e.g., saying hi at Fan Appreciation Day doesn't count).
Were they friendly? Rude? Funny?
Feel free to share any interesting stories/encounters!
And...go!
Message was edited by: Judge Keller®
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All-In [30841]
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Legend [18798]
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Really cool. I hope your niece is doing well.***
Aug 7, 2020, 2:53 PM
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All-In [30841]
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Thanks.. sadly she passed shortly after
Aug 7, 2020, 3:10 PM
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I owe Luke Bryan as well. Solid guy.
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Legend [18798]
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So sorry to hear that!***
Aug 7, 2020, 3:18 PM
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Legend [17328]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 7, 2020, 2:17 PM
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Mine doesn't meet your requirements for time of engagement, but I'm still ticked about it.
I showed Tommy Bowden my 1982 Orange Bowl ticket when he was first hired at Clemson. I told him we needed him to lead to lead us to another national championship, like the 1981 team. Well, he grabs it and signs the back. I was dumbfounded. I was thinking you had nothing to do with this championship, why did you sign it?
Message was edited by: tigerband1®
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All-In [44054]
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Thanks for sharing.
Aug 7, 2020, 2:23 PM
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The criteria aren't written in stone. Yours qualifies for sure.
My criteria were simply an attempt to prevent people from saying that they met Coach So-and-So at Fan Appreciation day and he had a nice smile and firm handshake.
I'm sorry Coach Bowden ruined your ticket stub!
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Team Captain [485]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 7, 2020, 2:22 PM
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The year that the ACC Basketball Tournament was in Atlanta in the Spring of 2009, my son and I were leaving, going down one of those long escalators in the World Congress Center (or whatever the building was called) that adjoined the Georgia Dome. The crowd was fairly light at that time of day for some reason. Anyway, I looked across to the up escalator where I saw Dabo and his full family. I said something like, "Hey Coach Swinney, congratulations on being named our Head Coach!" He reached across to touch hands briefly with a huge smile and a "Thanks!". Suddenly, other people around him started talking to him. It was clear that 3+ months after the end of the 2008 football season, he was still basically a private citizen who was not readily recognized on the street away from the football field.
At that point, I did not know if Dabo was going to be a great coach or not, but I did get the feeling that he was a good person. So far, he has not disappointed me in either regard.
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All-In [44054]
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Agreed! He is amazing on both fronts!***
Aug 7, 2020, 2:24 PM
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MVP [527]
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Met Danny Ford...
Aug 7, 2020, 2:26 PM
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maybe 4 years ago at a fundraiser in Greenville.
Danny, George Rogers & my 9 year old daughter with Down syndrome were the greeters for the event. Danny knew everyone that entered the event & introduced my daughter to them as his new best friend. (I was also impressed that he still knew all those people being so far removed from coaching.)
Side note: Perry Tuttle was at the event as well and he has a sibling with Down syndrome so he hung out with my daughter for a long time.
Other side note: Danny walked into the event with his own can of Budweiser.
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Legend [18798]
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His daughter had a huge crush on me whilst in college...
Aug 7, 2020, 2:58 PM
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she wasn't bad looking but you could see Danny's face in hers. Nope, wasn't going to go there.
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All-In [44054]
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LOL!***
Aug 7, 2020, 6:08 PM
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110%er [7427]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 7, 2020, 2:47 PM
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So, I actually knew Dabo quite well before he got back into coaching. I worked at the same commercial real estate firm he was at for a while.
One pretty funny trip stands out:
My father actually owned the firm and when I graduated college, I was awarded an executive job even though I didn’t have the experience of some of the other employees. Unfortunately, soon after taking the job, my father passed away and the future of the firm was in doubt. One of the main banks we worked with reneged on promises of a loan for new properties and sought immediate payment of debts. I suggested a deal: let the bank hold my inherited shares and house in exchange for the bank giving time to sell enough leases to prove our viability.
I set out on a cross-country sales trip with Dabo. Unfortunately, my social anxiety and hyperactivity alienated several potential buyers. The lack of any progress lead to tension between Dabo and I. When all seemed lost, I was able to persuade a surly waitress to serve us after the kitchen had closed and Dabo suggested I use my skills at reading people to make sales. We started to become friends and quickly made our sales goal.
However, unbeknownst to us we had a fellow employee sabotage the company's computers, causing sales posted to be lost or rerouted. With half of the sales now canceled, the bank decides to sell the firm.
Hoping that we could persuade them to reconsider, Dabo and I travel to Chicago boarding a plane posing as flight attendants. In Chicago, we got a brief meeting with them, but were told they only wanted the reputation connected with our brand and will close down the company and lay off the agents.
Dabo and I are denied entrance to the board room since I had no standing. With the help of Dabo, I devised a plan: dress as a suicide bomber by using road flares, and attract the attention of a live television news crew and force my way back into the board room. In a final move of pure persuasion, I quote the banks own advertising slogan, that they are on the side of the "American working man." They reluctantly signed a purchase order for 500,000 leases. Although the bank says that the purchase order is meaningless as they will soon own our firm anyway. However, unknowingly, that satisfied the agreement and our company was saved.
Long story short, without Dabo’s positive spirit, smarts and support, I never could have done it. I owe my family’s real estate firm to him and will forever be grateful. Obviously, Clemson fans know where his story went from there.
We are still friends to this day and I went to both natties.
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Legend [18798]
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Left out the fat guy in a little coat part...
Aug 7, 2020, 3:00 PM
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=)
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110%er [5809]
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Scout Team [161]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 7, 2020, 2:51 PM
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Danny Ford picked me up when I was hitchhiking from Pendleton to campus (1980?) My car was out of commission. Small talk. We did not discuss football. Nice guy.
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Legend [15817]
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Danny, while recruiting Michael Dean, spoke to our team
Aug 7, 2020, 2:54 PM
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after practice one day. Just remember his huge chaw of tobacco but not a word he said. This prolly doesn't count.
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Legend [18798]
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Probably doesn't meet the requirements...
Aug 7, 2020, 3:05 PM
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but my wife and I met Dabo and Brad Brownell at a fundraising event in Charleston.
My wife wanted a picture with him during that time we were trying to explain to him that my wife was from Colombia (the country). Of course Dabo was confused with ColUmbia.
The conversation was brief but I just remembered that Brad got it right away and was able to explain it to Dabo. Dabo then said the only Spanish he spoke was "Te llamo, Dabo". We didn't have the heart to him he said it wrong.
Both super nice guys and it was a nice little chuckle.
https://imgur.com/a/Dirx59d
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CU Medallion [67853]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 7, 2020, 3:59 PM
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Dabo went out if his way to speak to my mom during a break at his coaches show. When you meet him he is exactly how he comes across. Brad Scott spend several minutes chasing down a sharpie to give me and my grand daughter an autograph. Couldnt have been nicer to us. When we were in shool we'd run into Coach Howard at baseball games and talk to him. I also got to talk to Banks McFadden several times. He was the kindest most humble man.
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Legend [18798]
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cool stories***
Aug 7, 2020, 5:59 PM
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Orange Blooded [2311]
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Ran into Coach Howard and his wife in a hotel lobby one year
Aug 7, 2020, 6:02 PM
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after the GT game. It was late. Don't know why they were up so late but we spoke and then sat down on one of the benches. I talked to Coach and wife talked to Ms Howard. She said he wouldn't let her call him Frank, she had to call him Coach. We talked for at least 20 min. He told me some stories none of which I can repeat here. I'll always remember that night.
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110%er [6104]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 7, 2020, 6:54 PM
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I had two occasions to meet and talk with Dabo. He struck me as genuine, upbeat, and made you feel as if he was sincerely interested in your presence.
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Orange Blooded [2336]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 8, 2020, 3:01 AM
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I sat beside Danny Ford at Mac’s drive in during lunch back in the winter of 1983. He acted like he was just one of the crowd.
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CU Guru [1098]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 8, 2020, 7:43 AM
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Would be cool, but every time my sons and I have tried the line would be ridiculous. Maybe one day......I’m sure I’ll get a chance. We’re just gonna have to make sure to Olán better for it and be in it for the long haul. Would love to get with Dabo and Danny and my kids up in the garage.
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110%er [5677]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 8, 2020, 9:44 AM
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I wrote Coach Ford a congratulatory letter after the big win over the buck nuts in 1979 and several weeks later I received a nice thank you letter signed by Coach Ford. I still have the letter today.
I met him at the IPTAY meeting in Aiken the following year and introduced myself. He asked me are you the fellow that wrote me that nice letter last year? I said that I was. He shook my hand again and asked me to help work the cash bar with him before the meeting. This went on for several years.
I was transferred to Orangeburg and due to various reasons missed the annual meeting for two or three years. I finally got back on track and was able to attend, at that time they were held at the Shrine club on 301. We walked in and he was at the door greeting people as they entered. He recognized me immediately and called my name and said where you been? He said let me know if you need anything, seats up front. I thanked him and told him our seats were fine.
I guess the next time our paths crossed was around 1990-91 at Clemson after a game. He and Debora were walking behind the west end zone towards the IPTAY building. He saw me, spoke and called my name. I was amazed the he still remembered me. I wished him well.
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Legend [16733]
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Re: If you have met any Clemson football coaches
Aug 8, 2020, 3:55 PM
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Danny was very polite and friendly but I felt Tommy Bowden did not feel comfortable talking to me
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Legend [16507]
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We ran into Dabo at the team hotel in Glendale before the
Aug 8, 2020, 5:33 PM
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Alabama game in 2015 (I guess early 2016). We were behind the hotel where the little cabana-like rooms were, theorizing who would have those rooms versus the main hotel, when he came beebopping around the corner. Asked him if the team was ready he said yes, and then was more interested if we were ready for the game. Talked a little more and got a photo. Good experience for sure!
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Orange Blooded [2951]
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Great Dabo story....
Aug 8, 2020, 6:43 PM
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....though not mine.....
My sister was teaching at Lakeside Middle School in Anderson. At a basketball game, one of Dabo's boys was playing for the opposing team (sorry I don't know the name of the school). Dabo was there, watching the game and minding his own business....My sister was in charge of the Anderson Cancer Relay for Life and she got the idea that an autographed photo of Dabo might make a great auction prize. So she went up to him and asked him. She said he pulled a napkin out of his pocket and took her info. She said she didn't much expect anything. A couple of days later a package arrived with 2 11x14 color photos of him. Autographed and dated with a note to her wishing the event well....
Pretty cool, I thought.....
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