Tigers Pause to Remember Terrorist Attacks |
CLEMSON - Like millions of other Americans across the country, Clemson's
football team took time out Wednesday to remember and reflect. It was, of course, the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. A year ago at this time the Tigers were going through the motions of practice, mere hours after the hysteria, filled with the same questions and confusion as most other Americans. Wednesday, the 2002 Tigers took a few minutes before practice to honor those who lost their lives in the attacks. "We had a moment of silence before practice," head coach Tommy Bowden said. "I got so daggone caught up in game preparation that it was the player's idea. I thought that was really good, really unique, that they're the ones who actually thought to remind me." Bowden, like so many others, finds himself still affected by what happened a year ago. Among the changes, he said, is a heightened sense of awareness. "You're a lot more conscientious around large, game-type environments," he said. "When there's a large group of people around you're a lot more (aware), because that seems to be the target - large groups of people. "Every Saturday that's the environment we're in. It a small town like (Clemson) you don't have large buildings, large bridges or things like that. It's more so the event we coach on Saturdays that gets thought of once or twice." Meanwhile at Wednesday's practice, defensive end Khaleed Vaughn sat out the first 90 minutes of live scrimmage work nursing his sprained ankle and knee. Vaughn "hobbled through" the team portion of workouts, Bowden said, but any chance he can play in Saturday's game with Georgia Tech wouldn't be decided until game time. "It'll be out there at warmups (before a decision is made)," he said. "Right now it would be no. Now it's just a matter of time, whether it's this week or the week after." Officially, Vaughn and defensive tackle Todd McClinton are listed as doubtful for Saturday. Fullback Chad Jasmin and tailback Bernard Rambert are not expected to play. Dan Scott covers Clemson University for the Florence Morning News. He also hosts SportsTalk from 10 a.m.-Noon, Monday-Friday, on WCCP-Fm, 104.9. Click here for Dan Scott's SportsTalk discussion board.
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