Clemson Football

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is one of the most recognizable players in all of college football, and he announced Sunday a five-point plan on behalf of the players for "actionable steps to create real change" when it comes to the fight against racial injustice and systemic inequities.

"We, the players, have a voice, and we will use it to drive out injustice, improve our communities and inspire future generations," he said in the statement.

The five-point plan is as follows:

"1. Ensure all of our teammates are registered to vote & have November 3rd free from athletic obligations so we all can vote.

"2. Discuss with our presidents & administrators to further raise awareness about racial injustice and create initiatives to further empower our communities

"3. Create community outreach initiatives via clothing, food, school supply, and book drives, as well as amplifying current local organizations that are benefiting communities

"4. Normalize having routine conversations about change (policing, legal rights, addressing racial injustice, etc.) between college football teams & our respective police departments, local governance, and community leaders to build trust and empathy

"5. On game days, we will use our platforms to raise awareness via wearing shirts, utilizing statements on our helmets and jerseys, and playing tribute videos to recognize victims of racial injustice & share our own stories"

In June, Lawrence, as well as teammates Darien Rencher, Cornell Powell and Mike Jones Jr., organized "A March for Change" on Clemson's campus to support the Black Lives Matter movement.

A number of college football teams have joined worldwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism that have stemmed from the police shootings and killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake and many others.

Alabama football players recently organized a march in the wake of the police shooting of Blake, and head coach Nick Saban joined:

While the Power Five conferences—or those that are playing amid the COVID-19 pandemic after the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed their seasons—are yet to start their 2020 campaigns, this is another example of high-profile athletes using their platforms to fight for change this year.

Many players from the NBA and other leagues joined in the marches and protests following the police killing of Floyd, and the Milwaukee Bucks recently made national headlines when they refused to play in a postseason game against the Orlando Magic following the shooting of Blake.

That started a domino effect that saw three days of NBA playoff games postponed, some games in Major League Baseball postponed and games in Major League Soccer postponed as players raised awareness for the need for change and social justice.

Lawrence has been a major voice for college football players this offseason, as he and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields were also among those who called for better health and safety protocols for players amid the pandemic and demanded the right to "use our voices to establish open communication and trust between players and officials; ultimately create a college football players association."

Leading up to the start of their 2020 season, the Clemson Tigers got on the Drake bandwagon by recreating the music video for his latest single. 

Clemson football released its own version of the "Laugh Now Cry Later" music video:

The video features several key members of the Tigers, including Trevor Lawrence and a cameo at the end by head coach Dabo Swinney. 

Clemson deserves credit for its work, as the video made the rounds enough to catch the eye of Drake:

It's not a surprise to see the song, which was released as a single on Aug. 14, get picked up by sports teams. Drake has had a longstanding relationship with Nike, which played a significant role in his version of the music video for the song. 

Clemson has an apparel deal with Nike, and Drake appeared to declare his fandom for the Tigers by appearing in a photo with Swinney last year. 

All of the pieces came together for the Tigers to pay homage to the Canadian hip-hop superstar by making their own version of one of his music videos. 

The Clemson Tigers are heavy favorites to win a sixth consecutive ACC championship. 

Per a preseason poll from ACC media members, the Tigers received 132 out of a possible 134 votes to win the conference in 2020. Notre Dame came in second and received the remaining two first-place votes.

Clemson's status as the favorite in the ACC is hardly a surprise. The Tigers were ranked No. 1 in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll and Associated Press Top 25. 

Notre Dame football remains an independent, but the program will serve as a member of the ACC this season in order to play a fall schedule. 

The Tigers are the only ACC team ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll. Notre Dame checks in at No. 11, with North Carolina (No. 17) the only other ranked team in the conference. 

Despite losing seven players from last year's team to the NFL Draft, including Isaiah Simmons, A.J. Terrell and Tee Higgins, the Tigers roster remains loaded with talent. They are returning quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne and defensive tackle Tyler Davis. 

USA Today's Scott Keepfer noted after Clemson's loss to LSU in the College Football Playoff Championship Game that 80 out of the 120 players on the Tigers' roster were either freshmen or sophomores.

Per 247Sports, Clemson had the nation's third-ranked recruiting class in 2020 with 17 players rated at least 4-star prospects. 

The Tigers have won six ACC championships since 2011, including five straight overall. Florida State was the last team outside of Clemson to win a conference title when it had a run of three straight from 2012-14. 

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney leads the No. 1 team in the country in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll and has no interest in the College Football Playoff adjusting its schedule to accommodate the No. 2 team.

"We're ready to roll," Swinney said while adding he does not think the CFP should wait for delayed starts from the Big Ten and Pac-12, per David M. Hale of ESPN. "That would be something I wouldn't be in favor for. It'd be hard to start in November and then push the season into February."

A CFP without the Big Ten and Pac-12, which postponed their seasons amid the COVID-19 pandemic, would likely have the biggest impact on Ohio State. The Buckeyes are No. 2 in the country and return a number of players, including quarterback Justin Fields, to one of the only teams with enough talent on paper to potentially challenge Swinney's Tigers.

Clemson notably defeated Ohio State in last season's CFP semis, but it easily could have gone the other way. The Buckeyes blew a 16-0 lead, and the Tigers benefited from a controversial call that took a touchdown off the board.

However, Ohio State is not the only potential contender from the Big Ten and Pac-12 who would not have a chance to compete for a championship if the CFP does not accommodate a potential later start to the season.

Penn State (No. 7), Oregon (No. 9), Wisconsin (No. 12), Michigan (No. 16), USC (No. 17), Minnesota (No. 19), Utah (No. 22) and Iowa (No. 24) are all in the Top 25 with talented squads.

While there are no set start dates for the Big Ten or Pac-12, President Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday he "Had a very productive conversation with Kevin Warren, Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, about immediately starting up Big Ten football. Would be good (great!) for everyone—Players, Fans, Country. On the one yard line!"

Hale noted the Pac-12 announced a new COVID-19 testing partnership Thursday, which Commissioner Larry Scott said could facilitate a start sooner than Jan. 1.

However, Hale also pointed out playoff chairman Bill Hancock said there has not been any conversation about holding playoff games in the spring.

That is surely music to the ears of Swinney.

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney is taking a 10 percent pay cut for 2020 as part of the school's furlough program as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The university announced the news Monday, noting "President [Jim] Clements and all athletics employees making more than $400,000 annually have voluntarily taken at least a 10 percent reduction in compensation."

Grace Raynor of The Athletic confirmed Swinney is among those taking a cut despite the fact his $8.25 million annual salary only features $245,000 from the school.

Though other school employees will be required to take furlough days, the football staff are "contract workers" and will take the salary reductions instead, per Raynor.

According to Anna Hickey of 247Sports, the Tigers have 10 other coaches on the football staff making over $400,000 per year.

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables makes a reported $2.2 million per year and was the second-highest-paid assistant in college football last season. Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott reportedly makes $1.6 miillion.

They will help lead a team that has high expectations in 2020, ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press poll.

The Clemson furlough policy goes into effect on Sept. 1 and runs through the end of 2020.

If the ACC plays football this season, it sounds like running back Travis Etienne will be on the field for the Clemson Tigers.

Etienne told reporters Friday, "At this point, I'm 100 percent opted in."

The Big Ten and Pac-12 announced this week they were postponing fall sports because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the ACC, along with the SEC and Big 12, has said it intends to try to play football. 

Attorney Jason Stechen, who represents a large group of ACC and SEC student-athletes, sent a memo to those conference officials this week stating players could opt out of playing if their list of demands, including uniform health and safety practices and on-demand COVID-19 testing, aren't met.

Per Anna Hickey of 247Sports, as of Aug. 12, 12 ACC football players have opted out of the 2020 season because of safety concerns.

Hickey did note none of the opt-outs are Clemson players.

Etienne is heading into his senior season with the Tigers. The Louisiana native ran for 1,649 yards and 19 touchdowns in 15 games last year.

Clemson is scheduled to open the 2020 regular season Sept. 12 against Wake Forest.

President Donald Trump spoke with Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence about the 2020 college football season, which sits on the brink after numerous conferences announced that they will be canceling or postponing their campaigns amid the COVID-19 pandemic in recent days.

Per Matt Connolly of The State, Trump told reporters Wednesday that he spoke with Lawrence the day before. He also said that he talked with LSU head coach Ed Orgeron.

"I spoke to some of the great football players, college players, Trevor and a lot of great players called," Trump said.

"Coach called, Coach O. A lot of fantastic people I got to speak to. Athletes, leaders, they want to play football. Let them play. Let them play."

A Clemson spokesperson told Connolly the following regarding the call's logistics with Lawrence: "According to Trevor, White House staff initiated conversation and provided him a number to call the President."

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters Wednesday that Lawrence had not revealed any details of the call to him.

Trump has been vocal about his desire to see college football played this year, including quote-tweeting Lawrence, who has been active in trying to keep the campaign alive.

Lawrence and others have championed the #WeWantToPlay movement, whose objective is to play the 2020 college football season under "universal mandated health and safety procedures and protocols" and "ultimately create a college football players association" to help open a line of communication between players and officials, among other demands.

Among the Power Five conferences, the Big Ten and Pac-12 have already decided to postpone their fall sports seasons. The Mountain West Conference, the Mid-American Conference and a pair of independents (UMass and UConn) have also postponed their seasons.

The Big 12 will attempt to move ahead with fall sports, while the SEC and ACC have not adjusted their plans to do the same, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson.

League play is scheduled to begin Sept. 26 for the Big 12 and SEC. Most ACC teams will start their slate Sept. 12.

It remains to be seen how the College Football Playoff will work this season, with two Power Five conferences—the Big Ten and Pac-12—postponing their fall seasons Tuesday.

But Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney doesn't believe a 2020 title would be any less meaningful without those conferences in play, per Sam Khan Jr. of ESPN:

"Whoever wins it, wins it. That's the champ. It's the same way in every sport. ... Somebody is gonna win a championship, so maybe it's a shortened season, maybe it's not as many teams or whatever. But you best believe whoever wins it is gonna have to earn it. Nobody's gonna give nothing to nobody, so you can only control what you control. We just hope we can have the opportunity to play."

Swinney also said:

"The four best teams can go play. We've been one of those four for five years in a row. So, in my opinion, it doesn't change anything for us. We're just trying to be the best Clemson we can be. Whoever you play every week, you try to win that game, you try to keep moving forward. We don't have any control over that stuff. And I certainly don't judge them in any way. Everybody's gotta make decisions that they feel is best. If they feel like that's what best for them, then so be it."

Along with five straight berths in the College Football Playoff, Clemson has won two national championships and played in the title game four times, including last year's 42-25 loss against Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow and LSU.

Led by star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Tigers will be among the favorites to win a title whenever a playoff is held. And Swinney has emerged as one of college football's best coaches, going 130-31 since taking over as the Tigers head coach in 2009.

The ACC, at this juncture, is moving ahead with plans to play in the fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic, joining the SEC and Big 12. The Mountain West and Mid-American conferences also postponed their fall schedules, though the conferences that have postponed the fall schedule have kept open the possibility of playing football in the spring.

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney believes his team's players are safer playing football and remaining with the team amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the 2020 college football season remains in doubt.

"We all know there's risk," he said, per David Hale of ESPN. "We all know there's a virus. But if we cancel football, the virus isn't going to go away. It's my belief that we're safer here. If you told me if we canceled football nobody'd get the virus, I'd be the first person to sign up." 

The coach also advocated for Clemson's efforts during the pandemic, saying, "We've had one [positive test] since early July, and we've been together every day and practicing," per Matt Connolly of The State.

Swinney also said he "absolutely" supports a players association, although he was quick to point out "that's different from a union," per Wilson Alexander of The Advocate.

The comments on the players association come after Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields were among the college football players who issued a list of demands that included the right to "use our voices to establish open communication and trust between players and officials; ultimately create a college football players association."

Clemson running back Darien Rencher explained he and his teammate met with players from other Power Five conferences to take "a step toward one collective voice":

As for Swinney's belief players are safer remaining with the team and preparing for a season, he is far from the only prominent coach to feel that way.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said Buckeyes players want to take the field and feel safer at the facilities, per Tom VanHaaren of ESPN. He added "we cannot cancel the season right now. We owe it to these kids."

Alabama head coach Nick Saban said, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, "I know I'll be criticized no matter what I say, that I don't care about player safety. Look, players are a lot safer with us than they are running around at home."

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh released a statement pushing for a season, saying the Wolverines have seen zero positive COVID-19 tests in the last 353 they administered:

Swinney also said Clemson's medical team has continued to monitor for heart conditions, per Hale. That is notable because Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach of ESPN reported the heart condition myocarditis, which may be linked to COVID-19, has been found in at least five Big Ten athletes and some in other conferences as well.

It "is fueling concern among Power 5 conference administrators about the viability of college sports this fall," they wrote.

Despite the push from Swinney and other coaches, the 2020 college football season seems somewhat in doubt given the liability schools and conferences could face and the reality that doing something like a bubble—which has proven effective in other leagues—could require dropping the notion of amateurism and the idea the players are students first. 

Dan Patrick reported the Big Ten and Pac-12 were leaning toward canceling the season on Tuesday, while the SEC was pushing for the ACC and Big 12 to join them for a season.

Perhaps the most notable player in all of college football wants to play the 2020 season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who already has a national championship and two College Football Playoff appearances in two years as a starter, wants to work together to play. He added, "There is a way forward."

Lawrence later continued to expand on why college football should continue as originally scheduled and added a list of guidelines players want, including "universal mandated health and safety procedures to protect college athletes against COVID-19 among all conferences throughout the NCAA":

The Sunday tweets came after he made it clear Saturday that he wants to take the field in 2020:

Lawrence made his comments with the immediate future of college football seriously in doubt. The MAC announced it postponed all fall sports until the spring Saturday, and the Big Ten announced it "will remain in the first two days of the acclimatization period in football (i.e., helmets shall be the only piece of protective equipment student-athletes may wear)."

Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated cited a source who said, "I think by the end of the week the fall sports will be postponed in all conferences," while Brett McMurphy of Stadium cited another who said: "College football season is done. I don't think everyone immediately follows MAC, but it gives other league presidents one more reason to make an easier decision. Biggest thing is unknown long-term impact of COVID and liability issues involved."

One thing is for sure: Lawrence wants another chance at a championship before he potentially heads to the NFL as a highly regarded draft pick in 2021.