Bear Bryant's great-grandson loves what he sees in Clemson

Tyson poses with Dabo Swinney last weekend

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Mar 08 07:01:02 GMT-04:00 2017

One of the top quarterbacks out of the state of Alabama for the 2019 recruiting cycle was on Clemson’s campus last weekend, and he’s looking to make multiple trips to Clemson in the coming months.

Paul Tyson, 2019 quarterback out of Trussville (AL) Hewitt-Trussville, made the trip to Clemson for the Tigers’ Junior Day, and the great-grandson of legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant said the trip was more than he could have hoped for.

“I had a great time. It was a really good experience, getting to look at all of the facilities, which are unreal. The locker room, the weight room, the café – everything they had was bigger and better than all of the other facilities in the country. It was a great experience to just check everything out.”

Tyson spent a good portion of his visit with Clemson quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter.

“The coach I spoke to the most was Coach Streeter, and he was pushing me to come back to camp in June,” Tyson said. “I will be back for the camp June 6th-8th. He told me he wants me to keep coming to the campus and to get back as soon as I can. He said he wants to meet with me more and more. Clemson is like a family, and Coach (Dabo) Swinney talked to me about coming back up and he wants me here for the camp. I also got to talk to Coach (Todd) Bates, who I remember from Jacksonville St. It was good to see him again.”

Tyson said touring Clemson’s new football complex was a highlight of the visit.

“The thing that stood out to me the most was the bowling alley,” he said. “That is something that is so unique and fun, and just to be able to bowl sometimes would be great. The barber shop was unreal to me, too. I also got to shoot a few baskets, so that was pretty awesome.”

Would he leave his home state to play college football?

“I love any school that shows an interest in me. I am going to go to the place that best fits me,” Tyson said. “Clemson is up there with Alabama and Notre Dame for me. Right now, I'm just focused on winning a state championship for Trussville. We run the spread there, and love to throw the ball and I can’t wait for next season.”

Tyson doesn’t shy away from his legacy – he’s even named for the legendary Bear (he’s Paul William Bryant Tyson).

“To me, it’s a great honor. I never got to know him, but I get to hear stories about him every week,” he said. “It’s an honor for me to just know who my great-grandfather is. I get to know him through the stories I hear. I am blessed to have that in my life.”

Tyson plans to attend Notre Dame’s Junior Day on April 1st, and he’s hoping he can make it back to Clemson before camp to receive a coveted offer.

“They talked about an offer at the beginning of the visit,” he said. “Before they give an offer out, they really want to know somebody. They are pushing me to come to campus. The more times you come to campus, the better chance of receiving an offer.”

Last season, Tyson threw for 1,110 yards with nine touchdowns and no interceptions.