Coaches are largely all business on game days, especially in the moments before game time. Clemson’s Dabo Swinney made a beeline to the field from the tunnel, but he stopped in his tracks to greet a young man before his Tigers faced Auburn.
Dabo Swinney takes a moment pregame to brighten a young man’s day
Vestavia Hills’ Jake Pratt got some 1-on-1 time with Swinney.
That’s Jake Pratt, an 18-year-old senior with Down syndrome, who scored a touchdown for Vestavia Hills High School just a few weeks ago.
It was the preseason jamboree, but it was easily the most poignant score of the Rebels’ season. Both Vestavia Hills and its opponent spontaneously made it really cool.
Players from both teams sprinted onto the field to celebrate Pratt’s touchdown, and the 18-year-old obliged them with a dance, complete with a Cam Newton-style dab. Watch the play, which appeared on ESPN on Saturday morning, and the dance in the video above.
“He was so happy,” said Kathy Pratt, Jake’s mom. “Jake will remember this all of his life. It will be a life-changing experience.”
Swinney joked with Pratt that they’re rivals because the Clemson head man went to Pelham high school in Birmingham, Ala. Shortly before the Auburn game, Swinney put the bias aside to have a really cool moment with a special young man.
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