Dabo Swinney enjoying Clemson’s run at NFL Draft
It’s starting to become a regular occurrence for Dabo Swinney to attend the first night of the NFL Draft.
The Clemson coach was in Chicago on Thursday night to be with senior defensive end Shaq Lawson, who was taken by the Buffalo Bills with the 19th overall pick. It’s the fourth straight year Clemson has had a player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. Only four other schools – Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida and Florida State – have had at least one player taken in the first round in the past four years.
Clemson will likely extend that streak next year as Deshaun Watson will be a first-round pick if he leaves school after his junior season.
“Any time you get invited to the draft, it means something good happens,” Swinney said Friday while attending the Prowl and Growl at the Jamil Temple in Irmo. “I have enjoyed being a part of it and being there with their families. Just to see them in that atmosphere, and to be a part of that experience and the joy of the moment is pretty special.”
Lawson wasn’t the only Tiger to hear his name called as Kevin Dodd, Mackensie Alexander and T.J. Green were drafted on day two. Swinney expects to have seven guys taken by the time the draft wraps up Saturday after having eight make NFL rosters last year.
“If you are going to be a consistent program in college football, you’ve got to recruit, evaluate well and then you have to develop well,” Swinney said. “We have done a good of job of that as anybody. Not all of our guys are highly recruited guys.
“You got to get guys that want it and want to be successful in life. We got a great culture at Clemson and you protect that by who you recruit.”
The Tigers are coming off their first national championship appearance in 25 years and excitement around the program continues to increase. More than 800 people attended the Midlands’ annual Prowl and Growl stop put on by the Columbia and Lexington County Clemson clubs. Swinney and Clemson men’s basketball coach Brad Brownell signed autographs, posed for pictures and interacted with fans.
Ginger Page of Columbia had Swinney sign her national championship program she bought while attending the title game in Arizona. Page expects Tigers make it back to the title game held in Tampa, Fla., this year.
“We are going to Tampa. I’m already ready,” Page said.
High expectations
Swinney said he has high hopes for former Lower Richland standout Marcus Edmond and A.C. Flora’s Denzel Johnson this season.
Edmond, a rising junior cornerback, played in all 15 games last season and made two tackles.
“He is a guy, it is kind of fish or cut bait time,” Swinney said of Edmond. “He has all the talent, but he just has to get serious about the game of football. But I really love what I saw from this spring and I saw a sense of urgency that I haven’t seen since he got here.”
Johnson, a safety, redshirted last year. Swinney said he used that time to get bigger and prepare himself for playing time this year.
“He demonstrated this spring why we recruited him,” Swinney said of Johnson. “He has a lot to learn, but we are very encouraged about his future.”
Roper honored
Former Irmo basketball standout Jordan Roper was in attendance and honored by the Lexington County Clemson Club.
Roper, who graduated in December, started all 31 games this year and averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 assists.
This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 9:21 PM with the headline "Dabo Swinney enjoying Clemson’s run at NFL Draft."