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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 29, 2018

Dabo Swinney

Greensboro, North Carolina

THE MODERATOR: We're now joined by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.

Coach, if you could please give us an opening statement, we'll open it up for questions.

DABO SWINNEY: I appreciate it.

Excited to get back going. Just have game week finally here. This is what everything builds toward every year. We're just ready to kick it off. Can't wait to see us play. Really proud of the camp that we've had. Like where our team is right now. I think we're as far as we can be at this point without playing a real game. I think we're just like everybody: anxious to see our guys go compete against somebody else and kind of have a measure of where we are, what we got to do to improve and get better as we go through.

Furman is a local opponent here for us. We're excited about having a great crowd here in the valley. It's going to be a great game day environment. Furman is just up the road. Clay Hendrix has done a great job. Coming off an excellent season last year, will be a big challenge for us especially with their style of play is stressful to have to prepare for, especially when they've had a lot of time and there will be some wrinkles that you have not seen.

Again, just really ready to roll, see if we can accomplish our very first goal, and that's to try to win the opener.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Swinney.

Q. Could you take me through the time when Clelin and Christian told you they were going to come back to school for this year. How expectant were you of that when last season ended? How did they go about giving you that information?
DABO SWINNEY: Yeah, we had several guys. Kendall Joseph, Mitch Hyatt, Cle, Austin, certainly Christian. We had a lot of guys that I think were weighing a decision.

Those guys kind of got more pub, I guess. We just met and talked through it, then they kind of went about their process. I was just kind of waiting on letting me know.

Cle called me and told me that he was going to stay. I really, to be honest with you, I thought of the three D linemen, Austin, Christian and Cle, I thought there was a good chance two came back, I thought one of them for sure. I didn't think Christian would come back simply because he just graduated last December.

Nothing surprises me with Christian. I think for him, he just loves college. If he would have gotten the grade, he probably would have gone. I think for him he knew he had an opportunity to continue to improve and finish a little better.

He kind of messed with me, called me on the phone, talked about how much he loved Clemson, how great it's been, appreciated everything, setting you up like he's getting ready to leave. Then he said, But that's why I'm going to stay another year.

Anyway, it was kind of a fun moment there. They all kind of did it in their own way.

Q. Not that I would expect anything other than full-out effort from those guys. Is there any part of when you're a coach, you have guys that are making that decision, that you also are saying, Don't come back strictly with the NFL as your end point, you're not coming back to improve your grade, you have to be coming back because you want to see the team progress as well? Is that something that as a coach you have that part of the conversation with them as well?
DABO SWINNEY: All that stuff comes up in your conversation. But, yeah, these guys, they're as big of team guys as I've ever been around. They're tremendous leaders. That's one of the reasons they came back, they were excited about working with the young guys. They didn't like how they finished last year, wanted an opportunity to be a part of an unbelievable legacy. These guys have won 40 games in three years.

They're very in tune to the opportunity they have as a team. Certainly they want to do their part individually and better enhance their opportunities. These guys are team-focused all the way, no doubt about it.

Q. I think you said yesterday that Milan was banged up. Is he going to be able to go this weekend? Any other guys that might be held out?
DABO SWINNEY: Milan is really much improved. He kind of banged his knee up a week or so ago. He and Mark. Mark looks great. Milan is still getting better each day. I think there's a possibility he will be able to go on Saturday. Hopefully he will be able to play. It's not anything serious or anything like that. My hope is that he can go.

The only other guy that I think right now is Noah Dehand. He's probably going to be limited this week, nothing serious with him either. That's really it as far as guys on the two deep.

Q. I was looking at your offensive line. Justin Falcinetti from Maryland, talk about his leadership on the offensive line.
DABO SWINNEY: Falcinetti, he's had a heck of a career for us. Just one of those guys, he was actually a guy that we originally took as a great shirt player out of Maryland. He came in here and redshirted, has really developed into a tremendous player. All-conference type of player. I think he's one of those guys that will have an opportunity to compete for some national recognition this year. Did an awesome job for us stepping in last year at center, taking over for Jay Guillermo, who became a great leader for us. Graduated last year, finishing his MBA in December. Four and a half years he's going to have his under grad and Masters. Big, strong, athletic. That's one of my favorite parts of this job is seeing guys like Justin coming in here and just really blooming and blossoming into this great young man that's so empowered through his experience, seeing him just become the best version of himself.

Proud of Justin.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach, for joining us today.

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