Jaheim Lawson loves basketball. So much so that he nearly gave up football entire to pursue a career on the court. Dabo Swinney loves two-sport athletes but was intent on keeping Lawson on the gridiron where he is following in the steps of his older brother, Shaq, as a Clemson defensive lineman.
During his Tuesday media availability, Swinney spoke for a few minutes on Clemson players who played more than one sport in high school, how much admiration he has for them, and how Jaheim’s journey led him from hoop dreams to football success.
“I love multi-sport athletes,” proclaimed Swinney. “The basketball players, especially receivers and tight ends, and even linemen who play basketball, there is a lot of carry over with that (to football).”
Dabo Swinney
One former Tiger who Swinney specifically mentioned was former wide receiver Mike Williams. Not only was Williams a tremendous football player, but he helped lead Lake Marion High School in Santee, SC to a state championship in basketball his senior season. With his speed and leaping ability, you could easily see how the basketball player in Williams superimposed his natural gifts onto the football field.
“I’ve had some great basketball players that were very, kind of average receivers, who went on to become great wideouts,” continued Swinney. “Mike Williams. When I first watched Mike, he runs a slant and a go route and he just jumps over everybody. I watched Nuk Hopkins grow up his whole life and man, Nuk was a hooper. Yea, I’ll go play football, but he hooped year-round.”
Dabo Swinney
Mike Williams INCREDIBLE Catch On Clemson Game-Winning Drive (youtube.com)
Swinney speaks of two (or three)-sport stars with a gleam in his eye. Playing two sports in the eyes of many coaches help keep athletes conditioned and in peak physical shape. But, as Dabo Swinney explained, elements of one sport can translate to another.
It is that aspect that he loves to see and why he recruits prospects who compete in more than one area athletically.
“That’s how Shaq (Lawson) was. That’s how Jaheim (Lawson) was,” he said in reference to the former Clemson defensive line star and his little brother, currently an up-and-coming contributor on the Tigers’ current defensive front.
Dabo Swinney
In fact, Jaheim Lawson’s first passion was basketball and there was a time during his youth when he thought about giving up football altogether. Something Swinney was not going to let happen. Having known the younger Lawson since his childhood, Dabo was able to mentor the budding young star and convince him that he could play, and be successful, in both sports.
“I remember very clearly, Jaheim wasn’t going to play football,” Swinney recalled. “He was going to quit, and I told him, no, you’re not going to quit. He was in middle school, like seventh grade or something. I was like, have you lost your mind? You’re going to be like 6’3″. You better be Steph Curry and you’re not. So you better get your butt out there on that football field.”
Dabo Swinney
Of course, Swinney delivered that anecdote with a laugh. He then went on to talk about how Jaheim Lawson, once he decided to stick with football, wanted to be a wide receiver.
“Then he was going to be a receiver,” cracked Swinney. “He was going to play wideout. I remember that. And I was like enjoy this. You better get over there and get your hand in the dirt, and he didn’t want to play (defensive end). I’m not going to be defensive end, I’m going to be a receiver or tight end, and I was no, he’s going to be a defensive end.”
Dabo Swinney
Something Swinney is glad Jaheim came around to.
“He finally bought into it,” said Swinney.
Dabo Swinney sees Jaheim Lawson as a study in the good things that happen when you fully buy in to your gifts and use one to feed the other. Of course, hard work in the classroom goes right along with that success. Lawson, says Swinney, is growing into the complete package.
“I love Jaheim,” he said. “He’s really grown up, matured, and he’s bought into what he needs to do as a young man, what he needs to do as a football player, as a student, and he’s just blossoming. He’s a hard worker.”
Dabo Swinney
Lawson will always have the hooper in him, but even Swinney, who fancies a pick-up basketball game himself once and a while, might not want to go up against his rising star defensive end on the court. Even so, expect Clemson to continue recruiting multi-sport athletes because Swinney knows how to bring out the best of both worlds.
