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Are the Clemson Tigers as bad as the media makes them out to be?

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Are the Clemson Tigers as bad as the media makes them out to be?

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Listen to this week's episode of The Tiger Controversies here!

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Listen to this week's episode of The Tiger Controversies here!

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an outline of my opinion on the matter, and why I believe the Tigers should be forgiven.

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Follow us on social media to stay up to date on controversies!

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Read the details of the controversy here:

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Read the details of the controversy here:

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Jun 8, 2020

Andrea AdelsonESPN Senior Writer

Close

ACC reporter.

Joined ESPN.com in 2010.

Graduate of the University of Florida.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on Monday defended his response to an assistant coach's use of a racial slur during a practice three years ago.

Nearly a week after assistant coach Danny Pearman apologized for using the slur, Swinney made his first public comments about what happened in a taped message posted to the team's website.

Swinney said former tight end D.J. Greenlee and Pearman were on a separate part of the practice field when an argument happened in 2017. Greenlee told The State newspaper, "Me and the coach got into it, and I was speaking with one of my teammates. He heard me use the N-word, basically, and basically tried to correct me by saying the N-word back."

Swinney said Greenlee approached him privately to discuss what happened. According to Swinney, Pearman was "profusely apologetic."

In his statement last week, Pearman said he made a "grave mistake" when he repeated the word to try to stop it from being used on the practice field.

"I would fire a coach immediately if he called a player an N-word. No questions asked," Swinney said Monday. "That did not happen. Absolutely did not happen. It has not happened. Coach Pearman was correcting D.J., and another player was talking to D.J., or D.J. was yelling at the player, and D.J. said something he probably shouldn't have said. He said, 'I blocked the wrong f---ing N-word,' and Coach Pearman thought he was saying it to him, and he's mad, and he reacted, and in correcting him, he repeated the phrase.

"And [Pearman] said, 'We don't say we blocked the wrong f---ing N-word.' And he repeated it. He shouldn't have done that. There's no excuse for even saying that. But there is a big difference. He did not call someone an N-word."

Swinney said the matter was handled privately, but it came to light last week after former Clemson receiver Kanyon Tuttle posted about it on social media because he was upset that Swinney never addressed it with the team.

In his statement after the incident was made public, Greenlee said the situation was discussed internally but "may not have been addressed properly with my teammates at the time."

Swinney believes he handled it the right way. Pearman never faced punishment.

"There wasn't anything swept under the rug," Swinney said. "There wasn't some dirty secret. We handled it head-on. Forgiveness and grace is important. It's important for any of us, but I've known Danny Pearman for 30 years, and Danny Pearman is a good man. He's had incredible relationships with his players. This was totally out of character, but we dealt with it, and we moved on. We have great communication within our team, and it was handled."

Tuttle also accused Swinney of suggesting that players not participate in a 2016 sit-in on campus that addressed issues related to diversity training and minority faculty and enrollment.

Swinney addressed that Monday, saying, "We had players participate in the Sikes Sit-In. I would never tell someone they could not participate in something they believe in or exercise their basic right. But as a coach, our job is to teach, educate, protect, to inform. ... I stood in front of the team, and the only thing I said was if you're going to participate, make sure you know what you're signing up for. Make sure you know what the agenda and the message is, because you're not going to be Johnny Joe the student and go over there and just blend in."

Swinney has received criticism for remarks he made last week during a teleconference in which he seemed to play down the role football coaches can have in effecting change in the wake of the protests and outrage that have swept the country following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Swinney was also criticized on social media over the weekend after he was photographed wearing a "Football Matters" shirt. He said he got it from the National Football Foundation as part of an initiative. (The foundation tweeted over the weekend that it will change the name of the campaign)

"Any insinuation I was trying to mock the Black Lives Matter movement is just an attack on my character. And really sad," Swinney said. "I wholeheartedly support Black Lives Matter. I don't quite think that's adequate enough. I think black lives significantly and equally matter. God loves us all. None of us are better than anybody else. Actions are much louder than any words that I can say. I've always loved my players. I'm tough on them, but I love them deeply.

"This past week, it has hurt. It has been hurtful to see the pain in my players, to hear it in their voices. I know they're hurting, and they have pain for what is going on in this country and this world, and it's also hurtful to see our program be attacked. We have an opportunity to grow, to learn, to listen, to get better and to get stronger, and that's what we'll do."

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Dabo defends handling of assistant who used slur

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Jun 8, 2020 Andrea AdelsonESPN Senior Writer Close ACC reporter. Joined ESPN.com in 2010. Graduate of the University of Florida. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on Monday defended his response to an assistant coach's use of a racial slur during a practice three years ago.

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Gerry Broome/Associated Press
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins defended Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney in a Twitter post Wednesday.

Hopkins, who played for the Tigers from 2010 through 2012, said Swinney isn't a racist and helped him "become a man" during his time in college:

Swinney has faced questions about his response to a 2017 practice incident between former Clemson tight end D.J. Greenlee and assistant coach Danny Pearman.

Last week, Greenlee told Matt Connolly of The State that Pearman repeated a racial slur he'd used during a conversation with fellow tight end Milan Richard about a practice mistake.

"[Milan] was asking me what happened. 'What's coach getting on to you about?'" Greenlee said. "I was just like, 'Man, I got the [N-word] that came in my gap.' I was talking to my teammate. That was all that was said. Then the next thing you know coach Pearman starts coming over there. He was repeating what I just said. He's like, '[N-word] this, [N-word] that. The [N-word] wasn't there.'"

He added: "He wasn't saying that I was a N-word."

Pearman apologized for the incident, and Swinney commented on allegations he didn't respond to the issue seriously enough when it first occurred as part of a video statement last week:
"I would fire a coach immediately if he called a player an N-word. No questions asked. That did not happen. Absolutely did not happen. It has not happened. Coach Pearman was correcting D.J., and another player was talking to D.J., or D.J. was yelling at the player, and D.J. said something he probably shouldn't have said. He said, 'I blocked the wrong f--king N-word,' and Coach Pearman thought he was saying it to him, and he's mad, and he reacted, and in correcting him, he repeated the phrase. "And [Pearman] said, 'We don't say we blocked the wrong f--king N-word.' And he repeated it. He shouldn't have done that. There's no excuse for even saying that. But there is a big difference. He did not call someone an N-word."
Meanwhile, Hopkins and fellow Clemson alum Deshaun Watson have petitioned the school to remove the name of slave owner John C. Calhoun from buildings. Hopkins commented on the situation on Instagram:
"As we watch everything happening in the world, I want to bring up something that has been bothering me for a long time in my community. Clemson University still honors the name of well known slave owner and pro-slavery politician John C. Calhoun on its buildings, signs and in the name of its honors program. I felt this oppressive figure during my time at Clemson and purposely do not mention the University's name before NFL games because of it. I am joining the voices of the students and faculty who have restarted this petition to rename the Calhoun Honors College. I urge all Clemson students, football players, and alumni to join us, so the next generation of young Black leaders can be proud of the institution they graduate from. Now is the time for change."
The comments come amid worldwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality after George Floyd was killed while in Minneapolis Police custody May 25.

Hopkins and Watson were teammates with the Houston Texans for the past three seasons prior to the receiver's trade to the Cardinals in March.

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DeAndre Hopkins Defends Clemson's Dabo Swinney amid Racism Allegations

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Gerry Broome/Associated Press Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins defended Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney in a Twitter post Wednesday. Hopkins, who played for the Tigers from 2010 through 2012, said Swinney isn't a racist and helped him "become a man" during his time in college: Swinney has faced questions about his response to a 2017 practice incident between former Clemson tight end D.J.

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After conducting what I feel is a sufficient amount of research in regards to this matter, I have arrived at two conclusions.
The first deduction I have made is that the media completely overdramatized this story. I believe that they made something that was not initially an issue into a full fledged controversy. They continually stretch the truth in an effort to make headlines.
Second, Dabo Swinney is innocent and has done nothing for him to be declared a racist. He has not used any racial slurs, and has not done anything showing a disapproval of people of color. Assistant Coach Danny Pearman also is not racist, although he did make a mistake in repeating a racial slur. It was made clear that this will not happen again. Dabo Swinney has shown his support for the Black Lives Matter movement and even came out and said that he believes black lives significantly and equally matter.
Therefore, I feel that we should all lay this controversy to rest. We can recognize that mistakes have been made, but I have full confidence in our team that they have learned their lesson and that a controversy of this nature will not happen again.

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As George Floyd protests continue to grip the nation, many black athletes have been speaking out about racially insensitive comments made to them by white coaches over the years.

Earlier in the week, former Clemson player D.J. Greenlee said a conversation between himself and Tigers assistant coach Danny Pearman got heated in 2017, leading to a racial slur being used repeatedly to make a point.

Now, another Clemson player is speaking out, this time calling out Tigers coach Dabo Swinney. In a series of tweets on Saturday , former Clemson player Haamid Williams claimed that Swinney used a racial slur in the locker room, in front of the whole team.

"If I say this and you weren't in the room people are gonna think Im on hallucinating," Williams tweeted. "We played music everyday before practice for obvious reasons. Mike Reed, new/prospective CB coach came to visit and he toured our locker room while we were listening to music.

"Dabo walked into the meeting room and said "I don't want to walk in the locker room with guests/future coaches hearing n-a this n-a that in our house". Some people just walked out of the team meeting room because they didn't want to hear his s-

"And that was it. Players told him to watch his language and chill out. Then we went to practice. Ive seen interviews of players who walked out that day that said they still like Dabo in NFL interviews."

"Everyone in the team room that day knows exactly what Im talking about. Coaches, players, staff. I really remember that s- like yesterday 7 years later.

"I don't have an ax to grind. You cant do the exact same thing Pearman did, and then force him to apologize to the nation and team. Its a joke.

"Kind of feel bad for talking about Dabo. But I was told by multiple people he talked s- about me in a team meeting the year after I was no longer on the team."

Williams was a walk-on with Clemson who redshirted in 2012 and appeared in two games in 2013 as a running back.

After the Pearman incident surfaced earlier in the week , Greenlee added more context to Pearman's poor choice of words in an interview with The State newspaper .

"He wasn't saying that I was a n-word," Greenlee said.

Greenlee said Pearman was speaking with former teammate and fellow tight end Milan Richard during a practice when the incident occurred three years ago. Greenlee said "(Pearman) was being a coach at the time and he was just trying to figure out what was going on" after he thought his player had missed a block.

Greenlee said he spoke with Pearman about the play and began talking with Richard.

"(Milan) was asking me what happened? 'What's coach getting on to you about?'" Greenlee told The State. "I was just like, 'Man I got the (n-word) that came in my gap.' I was talking to my teammate. That was all that was said. Then the next thing you know coach Pearman starts coming over there. He was repeating what I just said. He's like, '(n-word) this, (n-word) that. The (n-word) wasn't there.'"

Pearman apologized Tuesday for his actions.

"While I did not direct the term at any player, I know there is no excuse for me using the language in any circumstance," Pearman's statement reads, in part. "I never should have repeated the phrase. It was wrong when I said it, and it is wrong today. I apologized to D.J. at the conclusion of practice, who then appropriately raised his concern to Coach Swinney.

"Coach and I met to discuss the incident, and he reiterated that my language was unacceptable. I later apologized again as well as expressed my sincere regret to our position group the following day.

Pearman has been a member of Clemson's staff for more than a decade.

"It was just a heated argument during practice, basically," Greenlee told The State. "He heard me use the n-word basically, and basically tried to correct me by saying the n-word back. He wasn't saying that I was a n-word."

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Former Clemson player alleges Dabo Swinney used racial slur

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As George Floyd protests continue to grip the nation, many black athletes have been speaking out about racially insensitive comments made to them by white coaches over the years. Earlier in the week, former Clemson player D.J.

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Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney seems to make matters worse for himself by the day following the death of George Floyd and amid the ongoing national protests against racial injustice.

Swinney remained silent while many college coaches around the country spoke out against racism. When Swinney did issue a statement, the words seemed to fall short. His former players began to call him out by suggesting one of his staff members used a racial slur, and that Swinney did nothing about it at the time.

A "Football Matters" t-shirt has made things more complicated for Swinney.

According to a tweet from @OUSooner2010 that has since been deleted, Swinney was wearing a shirt with the slogan "Football Matters" on Saturday. The Twitter user shared a photo of Swinney at a pool where he was wearing the poorly phrased shirt, which - if he did wear it on Saturday - feels especially tone deaf with Black Lives Matter leading a large number of protests against racism. Here's a look at the shirt.

Swinney has a previous connection with "Football Matters." The coach used the phrase in a statehouse speech, which was an effort to celebrate the 2016 Tigers football team after their national championship. Swinney's quarterback Trevor Lawrence said on Twitter that Swinney has worn the shirt for quite some time, and that it's not meant to mock BLM.

Coach Swinney's shirt, in any way, is not mocking the Black Lives Matter movement. He has been wearing the shirt for months in meetings.

- Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) June 7, 2020

Regardless of what the shirt is about and what the past context is, the possibility that he has continued to wear it is befuddling. It may not be related to Black Lives Matter, but considering the importance of the movement and the phrase at this moment, Swinney should take the shirt out of his rotation.

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Dabo Swinney wears 'Football Matters' shirt, and Trevor Lawrence defends it

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Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney seems to make matters worse for himself by the day following the death of George Floyd and amid the ongoing national protests against racial injustice. Swinney remained silent while many college coaches around the country spoke out against racism. When Swinney did issue a statement, the words seemed to fall short.