For Olsen Patt-Henry, the past several months have been a lesson in patience. The Clemson tight end, who tore his labrum against Texas and underwent surgery in January, spent the spring recovering and watching from the sidelines. It was a difficult period, but one that has him ready to go for the upcoming season.
"It's shocking that it happened, but stuff I can't control," Patt-Henry said, reflecting on the injury. "I'm all recovered up now, though. Just took a little bit of a process."
While he was "locked in mentally" during the spring, Patt-Henry admits he missed the physical grind of practice and conditioning. Now, fully cleared, he's eager to build on a promising foundation. As a tight end, Patt-Henry believes he has the versatility to "do it all," a skill set he has diligently honed with the guidance of tight ends coach Kyle Richardson.
"Coach Rich kind of helped me in the blocking game, really," Patt-Henry explained. "That was one of my weaknesses when I first got here. In high school, I was always able to run routes, and then getting to college, the ends and backers are bigger and stronger."
Richardson's coaching style, which Patt-Henry describes as "really detailed," has helped him develop the technical aspects of blocking. The coach's message was simple: "You've got to play, or sit the bench." Patt-Henry took the challenge to heart, focusing on the small but crucial details. "Footwork, hat placement, the little things really," he said. "I just really think if you just follow his technique and trust it, then you won't get hurt."
Patt-Henry credits his growth to a deeper understanding of the game. "It was just, instead of just doing it, understanding why I'm doing it," he said. "So just trying to apply technique to our scheme. It all made sense."
While the outside world is buzzing about Clemson's potentially elite offense, Patt-Henry and his teammates are staying focused on what they can control. "We're not really focused about all that," he said. "We've had the same squad for the last three years, and we just been glued together, just being consistent."
The addition of former basketball star Ian Schieffelin to the tight end room has only added to the group's dynamic. Patt-Henry sees Schieffelin as a valuable asset, not just for his physical gifts but for his personality.
"He's brought character, versatility, goofy," Patt-Henry said of Schieffelin. "He's just, you know, a big guy, 6'8", 6'9", whatever he is, 260. He's definitely gonna be a guy that we could trust to go in there and make some few blocks for us."
When asked about the playful trash talk surrounding Schieffelin's basketball skills, Patt-Henry was quick to join in. "I want to shoot out," he said with a grin, confirming the friendly competition is alive and well in the locker room.
As for his own expectations, Patt-Henry remains grounded. "I'm not really looking forward to all that, just taking it day by day, being the best version of me and just doing that, really."