Clemson football has taken the lead when it comes to social issues.
This is not sitting well with many within the Clemson football fan base who feel that athletes should just “shut up and play”. There are many issues with this line of thinking but it also shows that these people have not been paying attention to who head coach Dabo Swinney is and what he is all about.
Players choosing to wear helmet stickers the profess love, unity, and respect is exactly the type of athlete that has turned Clemson football into the king of college football. They put others first and believe in servant leadership.
Clemson football players are utilizing all the tools that both the University as well as the football program have equipped them with to lead by example and more importantly to lead when others are uncomfortable doing so.
I was among the lucky 18,600 that was in Death Valley for the first home game last week. I saw firsthand the entire Clemson football program lock arms from goal line to goal line and stand in unity. I watched as their leader and head coach stepped out of line for a moment and encouraged all of those in attendance to stand in unity with players that they proclaim to love.
This is what Clemson University and what Clemson football are all about. Love, acceptance, unity, empowerment, and loving others in your community even when you don’t always see eye to eye.
As both an alumnus and a fan, I could not be prouder of what Coach Swinney, Trevor Lawrence, Darien Rencher Mike Jones Jr., and all 120 student-athletes that wear a Clemson football uniform represent.
While many see an entanglement of politics and sports, instead what they should see is young men with a platform proclaiming love and acceptance of everyone, neither of which is political.
If you have a problem with these players, stickers on helmets, the words on the field, or Coach Swinney supporting his players in their actions, then you were never a Clemson fan, to begin with.