Thursday August 21, 2008

Clemson Notebook

Clemson Notebook
Next week, we will start to talk more about the Alabama game but I just had 10 thoughts on a Thursday morning:

1. Travis Padgett
I feel terrible for Travis Padgett this morning. The current Clemson star had a great chance at a medal in the 4 x 100 m relay but Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay misconnected on the final pass in preliminaries of the 400-meter relay this morning. It is the first time since 1912 that the men's relay team did not advance to the Olympic final.

Shawn Crawford was the benefactor of some good luck though as two runners were disqualified after yesterday’s 200 m finals and Crawford eventually was awarded the silver medal. The former Clemson sprinter won Gold in the 200 in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece but had to watch Usain Bolt break the word record to win the gold this year. I am not sure if Crawford will be back in 2012 in London but a gold and silver mean Crawford enjoyed an incredible career.

2. US Am
Clemson was very well represented in the United States Amateur in Pinehurst, NC this week and two Tigers were still alive heading into today’s round of 32. Kyle Stanley and Jacob Burger were just underway at the time of this writing and you can follow their action online at www.usamateur.org.

3. Big News
This is not a sports related item but sources tell me Clemson is set to have a major announcement tomorrow. I am not at liberty to say too much but look for some positive news from Clemson University Friday.

4. MJ
I had no idea that former Clemson All-American Michael Johnson was coming back to join Coach Leggett’s staff but was happy to hear the news. Johnson’s father is a terrific high school coach and I knew he wanted to get in the business but I did not know he was coming back here. I wonder if we could sneak him in for a few at-bats this season?

5. FCA
I wanted to give a quick endorsement for the Clemson FCA program. As some of you read this week, team Chaplin Tony Eubanks was so good to our family last weekend. I got a chance to learn more about FCA with the luncheon they had at the McFadden Building on Saturday and now have a better understanding of the financial issues they face. I would encourage anyone with interest to contact Tony Eubanks at TEubanks@fca.org.

6. Clemson Football Vault
I received an advanced copy of a terrific book this week. Clemson Sports Information Director Tim Bourret has written a very unique historic look at Clemson football. The book with hit bookstores in mid-September and is a must have for the avid Tiger fan. Trust me, you will love this one.

7. Clemson Basketball
I had the chance to spend some time with Clemson basketball assistant Josh Postorino this week and was impressed with new assistant. I must admit that when Shaka Smart left for Florida, I was concerned. However, Postorino is a bright coach who has burned up the recruiting trail this summer.

We talked about the 2008-09 Clemson squad and he got me excited about this team. The freshmen all reported to camp in good shape and could see significant minutes this year. He also said that Trevor Booker has emerged as the team leader. This was important because of the void left behind when Cliff Hammonds graduated. Booker has also had a terrific summer on the court.

I think we could see Andre Young and Demontez Stitt in the same backcourt a few minutes a game. It will also be interesting to see how the press might look different with the absence of James Mays this year.

8. Jamie Harper
I had a long-time Clemson observer tell me the other day that Jamie Harper has been the most impressive freshman running back he has seen in years. I also wrote this week that the staff felt he is even better than they thought when they were recruiting him. However, this week we learned something new about Harper. This week we learned about his toughness. People heal at different rates and some players are just tougher than others. I also have respect for players who can play through pain. Harper has impressed the staff with how tough he is and how he has handled a fairly severe sprained ankle. Keep that in your mind the next time we think about how soon he will recover from an injury.

9. Toughness
Speaking of toughness, I have pounded the toughness issue over the last two years on this blog. I was discouraged to see some teams appear to be tougher than the Tigers over the past few seasons. However, I think some of that is corrected by personnel and this team could be tougher than some of the past. Chad Diehl is a very physical blocker and should help in short-yardage situations. Jamie Harper will add a sense of toughness in his blocking and short-yardage as well. I also think players like Mason Cloy can help in this category.

10. Ryan
I wanted to drop in a quick note on Ryan’s progress. He has had in-home therapy this week. His new occupational therapist, speech therapist and physical therapist all indicated that Ryan is ahead of the game in terms of his rehab. He has had a very good week and we are even more encouraged by the strides he is making and could continue to make. Thanks for your prayers.

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