Dabo Swinney isn’t a professor, but he found himself giving a history lesson this week. The topic? NFL Hall of Famer and Syracuse legend Jim Brown.
Clemson’s players don’t know who Jim Brown is
To most football fans of a certain age, Jim Brown is a legend. To Clemson’s players, he’s just their long snapper.
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At a team meeting this week, the Clemson coach named long snapper Jim Brown as a team captain in a nod to the Syracuse star who rewrote record books as a football, lacrosse, track and basketball star. The only problem? His players didn't know who the elder Brown was.
I’ve been waiting all year to name Jim Brown as captain for the Syracuse game (audience chuckles). See, now I appreciate that. Now that’s the way the response is supposed to be. ... When I said that to the team yesterday, they all just looking at me like (mimics blank expression). I got nothing. Crickets!
The only Jim Brown they know is the long snapper at Clemson. That’s unbelievable to me.
Swinney went on to say that a few of his players could recall watching clips of the All-American runner, but he mostly remained playfully incredulous at their lack of football knowledge. What do they even teach these kids at Clemson?
LSU’s Leonard Fournette made it a point to honor Brown and other NCAA groundbreakers Ernie Davis and Floyd Little when the Tigers made a trip up to New York back in September.
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