It’s easy to see things from the outside-looking in on the Clemson football program and not know the whole story.
That’s exactly what happened during the 2020 Clemson football season with many Tiger fans and safety Lannden Zanders.
Zanders had shown flashes of greatness during his freshman season and there was a lot of hope coming into the year that he would be an elite safety for the Tigers. Unfortunately, that never came to pass.
He wasn’t as physical as what we saw in 2019 and it seemed as if he was playing more timid than free.
Following practice earlier this week, Zanders revealed that he played the entire season with a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
"“I got here and thought I was playing my best football but then I tore my shoulder in fall camp,” Zander told the media earlier this week. “I was talking to the doctors and they said I would need surgery so all year I was mentally down, not really focused on football and just wanting to protect myself and that really affected my game.”"
He could’ve chosen to opt out and have the surgery, but instead he decided to power through. He estimated that his shoulder “popped out of place” at least once per game. He also said he experienced some nerve damage during the Notre Dame game– which caused him to miss a few weeks– when his arm went completely limp after a hit.
He still decided to push through and played the rest of the season, but it still was never completely right.
"“I’m more of a head up guy now with my weight,” he said. “But with my shoulder last year I was favoring it and not trying to pop it out again, so it definitely affected me mentally and the way I make tackles. I was trying to and I really messed up my angles and how I was coming down so it really got to me.”“I know what I can do, I know last year wasn’t my best but I don’t have anything to prove to anybody I’m just going to go out there and play football like I know I can,” Zanders said."
Some Clemson football fans owe Lannden Zanders an apology
It was easy for Clemson fans on social media to be critical of Zanders’ play last season and the truth of the matter is that if you were just watching the game on the surface, it was warranted.
He was out of position and he did look like he was playing timid. Even when he was in the right area to make a tackle, he didn’t do so with the force and physicality that we saw from him during his freshman season.
Playing with that serious of a shoulder injury for an entire season would obviously explain why.
At least in my opinion, I believe there’s something to be said for a player who chooses to play through pain and give it all they have for the team.
Zanders could’ve elected to sit out, have the surgery and begin rehab for the 2021 season and no one could’ve blamed him. But, instead, he thought it was important enough to be a part of the team and to fight through the injury. That should at least be recognized.
Hopefully, we’ll see Zanders at 100 percent this season because there’s no doubt he has the potential to be special.