Swinney Responds to Former Tiger Calling Out Tigers – The Clemson Insider | Goose Pod

Authors: Gavin Oliver

Publisher:

The Clemson Insider

Published: 9/15/2025

Language:English

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Aura Windfall 2

Good morning bxyfighting@gmail.com, I'm Aura Windfall 2, and this is Goose Pod for you. Today is Wednesday, September 17th. We are here to discuss Swinney Responds to Former Tiger Calling Out Tigers – The Clemson Insider.

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Let's get started. The core of this is a former Clemson star, Shaq Lawson, who publicly called out the team's toughness after a tough loss. He tweeted, "We don’t got no dawgs at Clemson. That NIL change everything." It’s a powerful statement from a respected alum.

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Powerful is one word for it. Honest is another. Lawson is pointing a finger directly at the culture shift with Name, Image, and Likeness rules. He's saying the hunger is gone. And what I find fascinating is Coach Dabo Swinney's very measured, almost dismissive, public response.

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What I know for sure is that Swinney chose a path of deflection. He acknowledged the criticism but told his players to "stay away from all that stuff and focus on doing the work." It’s a classic leadership move to control the narrative and shield the team from outside noise.

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It's a move, alright. But is it the right one? Or is it ignoring a fire that's already burning in the locker room? Lawson played there, he was an All-American. His words carry weight. Simply saying "ignore it" feels like an attempt to maintain control in a world that's rapidly changing.

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To understand Swinney's perspective, you have to look at the beautiful foundation he built. He took over a struggling program in 2008 and, guided by his deep faith, turned it into a powerhouse with two national championships. His purpose has always been about more than football; it's about shaping young men.

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A powerhouse built on an old model. Let's be blunt, his "beef" with NIL was so strong he almost quit the sport. Some would say he was fighting to maintain a system where he and the university held all the power and financial leverage. It's not about shaping men; it's about control.

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But isn't there something admirable in his desire to keep college sports pure? He focuses on graduation, maturity, and purpose. He saw NIL as a potential distraction from that central mission, a force that could corrupt the spirit of the game and the development of his players. He's a purist.

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A purist who benefited from a system where players were not compensated for their value. Commentators have pointed out the hypocrisy. They called it a "plantation mindset." He had no issue with the old system of "bag men." His problem wasn't with players getting benefits, it was with open competition for them.

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That's a very cynical take on a man who is the winningest coach in Clemson and ACC history. His methods, his focus on relationships and character, have produced incredible results. You can't argue with two national titles and nine conference championships. His way works, or at least, it did.

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And that's the heart of the conflict. Does Shaq Lawson's comment signal that the old way is no longer enough? It brings up this idea of a "Clemson Curse" in the NFL, a perception among pro scouts that Clemson players, especially on the defensive line, are somehow... soft.

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Exactly. One scout literally said the "Clemson helmet scares the shit out of me." They believe the players are spoiled and entitled because Swinney pampers them, making excuses and enabling them. They question their toughness, which is exactly what Lawson is saying. It's an issue of culture.

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But how can a program be considered "soft" when it has produced so much talent and won at the highest level? It feels like a contradiction. Perhaps the scouts are misinterpreting a supportive, family-like environment for a lack of discipline or grit. Swinney treats them like his own kids.

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And that's the problem! One executive said they get "babied." Swinney is criticized for telling everyone they're the next NFL star instead of giving them hard truths. This creates a disconnect between the Clemson bubble and the brutal reality of the pros. Lawson sees the result: a team that lacks "dawgs."

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The immediate impact is clear. With a 1-2 start, Swinney is facing a storm of negativity and has to pick up the pieces. This isn't just about game strategy; it's about the morale of the entire program and defending his very public reputation and coaching philosophy. It's a true test of leadership.

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Let's talk about the real impact: results. At the end of the day, Dabo Swinney is paid $11.5 million a year to win football games. A 1-2 start and public criticism from a star alum is a direct failure to meet expectations. This isn't about morale; it's about return on a massive investment.

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What I know for sure is that this is a moment that will define the next chapter for Clemson. It forces Swinney to confront whether his successful, relationship-centered environment can still produce the toughness required to win in the modern, high-stakes era of college football. He's at a crossroads.

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Looking ahead, Swinney’s supporters believe in his purpose-driven approach. His program has a history of not being swayed by public opinion. The belief is that he will stay true to his core values, rally his team internally, and prove the doubters wrong by focusing on his system.

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Or, the future is that he fails to adapt and Clemson fades from championship contention. Sticking to your principles is admirable until it makes you obsolete. The game has changed. If he can't find a way to instill that "dawg" mentality within the new NIL reality, the future looks disappointing.

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That's the end of today's discussion. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod. See you tomorrow.

## Clemson Football: Former Star Shaq Lawson Criticizes Team, Coach Dabo Swinney Responds This news report from **The Clemson Insider**, authored by **Gavin Oliver**, covers the fallout from Clemson's recent 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech. The primary focus is on the public criticism from former Clemson star edge rusher **Shaquille Lawson** and the subsequent response from head coach **Dabo Swinney**. ### Key Information: * **Event:** Clemson Tigers' 24-21 loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday. * **Criticism:** Former Clemson All-ACC and All-American edge rusher **Shaquille Lawson** (Clemson, 2013-2015) took to social media (X, formerly Twitter) to express his disappointment with the current roster. Lawson stated, **"We don’t got no dawgs at Clemson. That NIL change everything."** This implies Lawson believes the team lacks toughness and attributes this to changes brought about by Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals in college football. * **Coach Swinney's Response:** During his weekly teleconference on Sunday evening, **Dabo Swinney** addressed Lawson's comments. * **Acknowledgement of Criticism:** Swinney stated, "Everybody's entitled to whatever opinion they want... he certainly is a guy I’ve got a ton of respect for." * **Self-Criticism and Call for Improvement:** Swinney acknowledged the need for the team to improve, saying, **"We gotta be better. We’ve gotta be tougher to make one more play."** He emphasized that improvement is needed "everywhere — Not just players — coaches, all of us." * **Contextualizing Performance:** Swinney noted that while the team is currently 1-2, **"not every 1-2 is the same."** He acknowledged the frustration that comes with not achieving desired results at Clemson. * **Focus on Work:** Swinney advised the team to **"stay away from all that stuff and focus on doing the work, and we’ve gotta get better at doing that."** ### Numerical Data: * **Score:** Clemson lost to Georgia Tech with a score of **24-21**. * **Team Record:** As of the report, Clemson's record is **1-2**. ### Context and Interpretation: Shaquille Lawson's criticism directly questions the mental fortitude and toughness of the current Clemson team, a characteristic historically associated with successful programs. His mention of NIL suggests a belief that the influx of NIL money has altered the player dynamic, potentially attracting players less committed to the program's traditional values or impacting the development of inherent toughness. Coach Swinney's response is measured and diplomatic. He validates Lawson's right to an opinion while also taking responsibility for the team's performance. His emphasis on collective improvement ("coaches, all of us") and the need to focus on the process of "doing the work" indicates a desire to move past external criticism and concentrate on on-field execution. The mention of the 1-2 record, while seemingly straightforward, is contextualized by Swinney's assertion that the quality of those losses matters, suggesting the team's performance in those games was not uniformly poor. ### News Identifiers: * **Publisher:** The Clemson Insider * **URL:** `https://www.theclemsoninsider.com/2025/09/14/swinney-responds-to-former-tigers-calling-out-tigers/` * **Published At:** 2025-09-15 04:54:48 * **Title:** Swinney Responds to Former Tiger Calling Out Tigers – The Clemson Insider

Swinney Responds to Former Tiger Calling Out Tigers – The Clemson Insider

Read original at The Clemson Insider →

On Saturday, former Clemson star edge rusher Shaq Lawson took to social media and called out the Tigers after their 24-21 loss at Georgia Tech. Lawson — a former All-ACC and All-American edge rusher who played at Clemson from 2013-15 — was openly critical of the Tigers’ current roster, writing on X (formerly Twitter), “We don’t got no dawgs at Clemson.

That NIL change everything.” During Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney’s weekly teleconference Sunday evening, he was asked about Lawson’s social media post questioning the toughness of this year’s team. “I mean, listen, everybody’s entitled to whatever opinion they want,” Swinney said. “I mean, he certainly is a guy I’ve got a ton of respect for.

I mean, like I said, we gotta be better. That’s just the bottom line. We’ve gotta be better. We’ve gotta be tougher to make one more play. Again, as poorly as we played offensively against LSU, it still comes down to the last play. And then certainly this past game was one play.” “We gotta be better everywhere,” Swinney added.

“Not just players — coaches, all of us.” Swinney knows the criticism comes with the territory. “That just comes with it,” he said. “When you’re at Clemson and you don’t get the results that we all work for, that’s just part of it. So, I understand that frustration. People care about this program, I care about this program, but I also have a lot of perspective.

I do know there’s perception and there’s also reality, and hey, we’re 1-2. But not every 1-2 is the same, that’s for dang sure. But we’re going to battle our butts off.” Added Swinney of the criticism: “You’ve got to just stay away from all that stuff and focus on doing the work, and we’ve gotta get better at doing that.

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