Peters comes up big for Tigers against BC

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Sun Sep 30 23:54:23 GMT-04:00 2012

CHESTNUT HILL, MA- Red-shirt sophomore defensive back Garry Peters Garry Peters
RS So. Defensive Back
#26 6-0, 195
Conyers, GA
View Full Profile came to Clemson with high hopes, but after playing just 15 snaps in the season’s first four games he was wondering if he would ever get his chance.

Saturday, he got it.

Peters entered the game late in the first half of Clemson’s 45-31 victory over Boston College, taking over for the struggling Darius RobinsonDarius Robinson
Jr. Cornerback
#21 5-10, 175
College Park, GA
View Full Profile at one of the corner spots, and played well enough that he was told by secondary coach Charlie HarbisonCharlie Harbison
Defensive Backs
View Full Profile that he would start the second half.

In the second half, Peters opened more than a few eyes by intercepting Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig with 5:12 remaining in the game – nullifying an Eagle scoring drive and effectively sealing the Clemson win.

Peters said afterward that he just wanted to be ready when his name was called.

“It’s been hard, I’m not going to lie but at the same time I’ve been ready,” Peters said. “I knew the guy in front of me was going to get the job done. When my number was called, I just went out there and stepped up and made some plays tonight.”

It was make or break time for Peters ,and he knew that he had to prove to his coaches that he was ready.

“Today, my opportunity came and I just took advantage of it,” Peters said. “At the end of the first half, I played the last snap and my coach told me that I was going to start the second half. I was kind of nervous, but I knew the defense had my back and I just made some plays. I felt like this was my opportunity to make or break me. I was either going to step up and play good or I wasn’t. I went out there and stepped up and the defense had my back, and I did a good a job tonight.”

Peters said that he knew that he would see playing time in Alumni Stadium, and it showed during last week’s practices.

“Throughout the week, my coach told me I was going to play,” Peters said. “This was the first time that they told me that I was going to play. He [Harbison] was hard on me and kept telling me that I was going to play this week. I just went out and practiced hard.”

Robinson- the starting corner back coming into this weekend- and Peters are great friends on and off the field, but Peters said when it’s game time, it’s all about getting the job done.

“That’s my boy off the field and even on the field,” Peters said. “We are really close. We watch film together and hang out all the time. I wasn’t worried about him being in front of me or me being in front of him. It’s just whoever is getting the job done at the time. He wasn’t feeling it so I just went out there and took care of business for him.”

When Peters picked off Rettig’s pass, he knew it was coming his way because he had seen the route earlier and gotten beat on the play. He wasn’t going to get beat twice.

“My first career interception, it felt really good,” Peters said. “The d-line got some good pressure. The backers and the rest of the defense was covered up so the only person he could throw it to was my man. I baited him and stepped in front of it and got the big play for my team. That guy got me on that route earlier, and I felt like I couldn’t let him get me again. I saw it coming and I jumped it. I caught it and it felt real good because I dropped one earlier in the game. That kind of blew me out.”

Now that Peters has an interception, his teammates can no longer pick on him about having a zero next to his name.

“I didn’t think about not having an interception during the game, per say, but during the week and during the offseason my teammates joke with me a lot about not having a pick yet and all of them have interceptions,” Peters said. “I finally got my first one so it’s like a big load off my back.”