Last night, Clemson pulled out an improbable victory against topped ranked Alabama in thrilling, last second fashion.
After the game, Clemson’s coach Dabo Swinney was interviewed about the game, and while overcome by emotion, said, “Only God can do this–take a guy like me from Pelham [a town in Alabama], go down to Alabama, win a national championship, come to Clemson and then have a chance to win a national championship against the best team in the country.” He added, “I’m thankful to the good Lord.”
Swinney’s story is a powerful one. As teenager in Alabama, his family lost his home to foreclosure, and even after he enrolled in Alabama, his mother came to live with him and another student in an apartment near campus because she didn’t have anywhere else to live. Swinney then walked on the football team, and won a national championship.
As a coach, he’s been outspoken about his faith, so much so that in 2014, the The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a complaint that “Christian worship seems interwoven into Clemson’s football program,” demanding that the school stop Swinney from religious activities with the team. (Swinney denied doing anything inappropriate or forcing religion on his players.)
You can see his post game speech from last night below.
