Learning From The Best: Clemson's Kane Patterson Hoping to Follow James Skalski's Lead

Clemson linebacker Kane Patterson had made it a priority to absorb as much as possible from veteran linebacker James Skalski

It's no secret the injury bug has had its fill on the Clemson roster this season. With that has come meaningful reps for the Tiger reserves like linebacker Kane Patterson. 

With Skalski battling some soreness after the opening series and Jake Venables forced out of the game with a broken arm, Patterson was forced into the fire in a shaky first half for the Tiger defense Saturday night in Blacksburg. 

A sophomore from Brentwood, Tenn., Patterson entered the season with just 11 tackles. He recorded his first career interception in the win over Miami and nearly notched his first touchdown on a 57-yard rumble return against the Hokies. 

The Clemson linebacker graded out pretty well in the win over Virginia Tech and said it felt good to be in the neighborhood with starters Mike Jones Jr and Baylon Spector on film review. 

Patterson was ready for the moment Saturday night and he said on Monday it all goes back to how he prepares. Each week he carries the mindset of the starter and practices and watches film in that same manner so that when the time comes, he's prepared. 

"For me every week I go into each game preparing like I'm the starter. I'm always in there watching film with Jamie. I try to just attach myself to him every week," Patterson said. "Being next to (Skalski) and Jake (Venables) and making sure I'm ready for when my time comes. I prepare like them so when it is my time to go, I know I'm ready."

Playing linebacker for Brent Venables is not an easy or simple task and his players will tell you as much. But when you have a rotation of strong leaders setting the example and getting others to buy in, anything is possible. 

Skalski has been that leader his teammates need and has taken the extra time to be that extra coach for his younger linebackers. 

"Jamie has been super good to me by taking extra care of me. He's always helping me learn and get the details right and helping me prepare,

Patterson feels like he's grown a great deal since his early days on campus and is always learning and working toward improving his craft and understanding the different schemes. 

"Every week you're either moving forward or backward and I feel like every week I'm getting smarter and better," he said. "Last fall, I was just learning as much as I could on the go and it was quick. In the spring, I had a little more time to get into the details. With all of our zoom calls, we really got into the details and now it's really all starting to come together."