Swinney was a Crawl-On at Alabama

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, who played wide receiver at Alabama from 1988-1992 and was a member of the Crimson Tide’s 1992 national championship team, took time to recall how his time under Coach Gene Stallings shaped him into the man and the coach that he is today

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, who played wide receiver at Alabama from 1988-1992 and was a member of the Crimson Tide’s 1992 national championship team, took time to recall how his time under Coach Gene Stallings shaped him into the man and the coach that he is today.

“I always tell everybody, I was a crawl-on. I was one notch below a walk-on. I crawled on the field out there. I had to go through – they didn't invite me to come out,” Swinney said. “I mean, grew up in a small town, first one to go off to college, and I was one of those kids that watched the Bear Bryant Show every Sunday, and every time Alabama was on or on the radio, I was listening. Fight you in school if you talked bad about them.”

Swinney said Alabama had not won a national championship in 13 years. “It’s not like now; they win it like every year or every other year.” For Swinney to have been a part of that team was, in his words, an “incredible moment.”

Swinney remained at Alabama as a graduate and then an assistant coach.

“I went to Alabama as an 18-year-old kid and I left when I was 31. Just an incredible experience.

“I wasn't happy to leave. I was mad at the time. I was not happy. But God had a plan for me, and he knew what I needed. You know, I needed to go. I had never really been anywhere but the State of Alabama, and to have to pack up my family and move to South Carolina, to Clemson, it was great for my family.

“Now I just finished my 14th year at Clemson. It's been a blessing all the way through.”

It is Swinney’s ties to Alabama that, even according to Saban, remain impressive to this day.

“He has also been very supportive of his teammates that he played with at the University of Alabama, Coach Stallings – you know, Coach Stallings does a lot to try to raise money for RISE,” Saban said. “Dabo comes back, we both try to sort of do everything that we can do to support that and help that.

“I really appreciate the way he has managed his loyalty to his alma mater, but done a great job at Clemson at the same time, and never seems to be in conflict.”