Tuesday, Sep. 16, 2008

Family takes back seat as coaching brothers meet

CLEMSON — Clemson freshman running back Andre Ellington admits making the same mistake family members did at a sports banquet earlier this year.

All thought they had spotted Ellington’s recruiter, Tigers linebackers coach David Blackwell, and wondered why he had not said hello.

Upon closer inspection, they figured out they were not being snubbed.

It was Joe Blackwell, David’s brother and South Carolina State’s offensive coordinator.

“It’s an easy mistake to make,” Ellington said. “They look identical.”

A note to future prospects: Little league coaches differentiated the two by hair color, remembering Joe had jet black hair.

The Blackwell brothers frequently cross paths within the same instate recruiting territory, but they will be on opposing sidelines for the first time Saturday when S.C. State meets Clemson in Death Valley.

Their mother, Jane, said it will be an exciting and gut-wrenching day. And the man responsible for their football influence would have given anything to witness the match-up.

Their father, also named David, died in 1989 at age 38 during his sons’ first week of college. He had suffered a heart attack several years earlier and contracted a virus that spring that affected his heart muscles.

The elder David had worked as the traveling sales rep for a sporting goods store in Spartanburg and later Seneca.

Joe and David frequently accompanied him on day trips to the high schools and were recognized by coaches to the degree they would be dropped off with state Rep. Mike Anthony, D-Union, when Anthony coached at Carolina High.

Their father, an Alabama fan, also developed a close bond with Crimson Tide alum Danny Ford when Ford was a Clemson assistant recruiting his sales area. Thus Joe grew up a Clemson fan, while David took to Alabama.

“They’ve been around coaching all their lives,” Jane said. “I’m surprised my daughter is not a coach, too.”

Yet Joe and David took contrasting paths to reach Saturday’s destination.

Joe, 38, played at North Greenville, then worked his way through the high school ranks, beginning as an assistant at his alma mater, Berea.

After serving as Camden’s coordinator during their 2001 3A title run, he joined Zak Willis on Pikeville College’s staff, then followed Willis to Newberry for a year before taking the job as S.C. State’s tight ends coach in 2004.

David, three days away from being one year younger than Joe, enjoyed hunting and fishing as much as football during his youth.

But he had a two-inch height advantage and was a superior player, traits he parlayed into a scholarship to play offensive line at East Carolina.

David, however, was forced into a coaching apprenticeship after he suffered a career-ending neck injury in practice during his sophomore season.

He was promoted from student assistant to rush end linebackers coach in 1992, then moved on to become Illinois State’s recruiting coordinator four years later. After three years at Pittsburgh, Blackwell returned home in 2003 to replace Rodney Allison as Clemson’s linebackers coach.

The brothers estimated they talk about five times a week — conversations that had centered around strategy until the Bulldogs were plugged onto Clemson’s schedule for this season.

“We won’t talk much this week,” Joe said. “But we will talk about how we’re going to fit in our family, ticket-wise, because we’ve got a lot of cousins to squeeze in.”

Because of their tight-knit relationship, Joe has gotten to know a number of Clemson players while visiting the coaches’ office. And Joe said the game has taken on added significance because of his other ties to the coaching staff.

Joe teamed with Tigers’ recruiting coordinator Billy Napier during Napier’s one season as S.C. State’s quarterbacks coach in 2005.

Willis, who gave Joe his first college coaching job, got his start under former USC coach and current Clemson line coach Brad Scott. Joe considers Scott a mentor. He also has worked Clemson’s summer camps since his days as a high school coach.

At last winter’s national coaching convention, David broached the notion that Joe probably would not be allowed to work the camp this year.

When Joe bumped into Scott later that day, Scott told him not to cancel his plans just yet.

The next day, David informed Joe he was back on duty.

“Coach (Tommy) Bowden just made us lock up the rooms this summer while he was here,” David said.

“I’m looking forward to this. It’s going to be fun.”