CLEMSON, S.C. — Fresh off one of the most taxing summer conditioning programs in recent program history, Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton stepped off the practice field following the Tigers’ first fall camp session intent on stepping into a primary leadership role for the secondary.
Hampton, who has taken on the mantle as the unit’s leader, credited former teammate Avieon Terrell with setting the standard.
“It’s just really been a mentality in the cornerback room ever since I’ve been here. I came in my first year, I had Avieon Terrell and he was a great leader,” Hampton said. “And I feel like he just passed down a torch to me to be that great next leader in CB 1. So every time I go out there and at every practice, I’m trying to take the initiative and be intentional with everything I do and say. And like as you seen the video on the hill, I’m trying to be make sure I’m the first one up the hill. I’m trying to push my teammates. I’m trying to communicate with everybody and make sure we’re all on the same page, and just making sure we all have the same goal and try to accomplish everything we want as a team.”
When asked whether he talked former teammate Shelton Lewis into transferring so he could wear the No. 2 jersey, Hampton laughed off the suggestion.
“Nah, Shelton. I love Shelton. He’s a great teammate, great guy. I miss him every day,” Hampton said. “So you like that number two? Yeah.”
No Starters, No Coasting
Head coach Dabo Swinney made it clear entering fall camp that no starting positions are guaranteed on the roster. Hampton fully embraces that mandate, especially following last season’s 7-6 campaign.
“Absolutely, because every day we go out there, you have to prove it is every day is game day, and every play is a game day play,” Hampton said. “So every time that we step out there on the field, we’re trying to prove it to ourselves, our teammates, our coaches, to everybody that we deserve to go out there and play. Like Coach Swinney said about us having no starters, he’s 100% correct on both sides of the ball. Everybody has to go out there and prove it no matter what. No matter if you’ve been here four years, five years or if you’re just a true freshman. It doesn’t matter who goes out there. You got to prove it, no matter what. No matter what you’ve done in the past; that doesn’t matter. Even though we had a bad season last year, it’s okay; that doesn’t matter; it’s over with. You got to forget about it and move on.”
Hampton noted that while high expectations have always existed at Clemson, it is necessary to reset after close defeats.
“Ever since I’ve been here, it’s always been like that. But last year, obviously things didn’t really go our way. We lost a lot of close games. It happens in football,” Hampton said. “At the end of the day, you got to keep pushing. You got to reset and reload and just keep going no matter what happens.”
A Grueling Summer and ‘Best Is the Standard’
Getting back on the practice field provided relief after what Hampton described as an exceptionally intense offseason.
“Just intensity and mentality that we have. I would say personally because obviously last year went seven to six and that’s something that nobody wants to do again,” Hampton said when explaining the rigorous summer. “We’re making sure we’re coming in every day being intentional about the little things, making sure our discipline, making sure that we all have a common goal. In every workout, the little details, just making sure everything’s neat and tidy, stuff like that, picking up trash and just making sure everybody counts and things like that. Just little things so we could all be a team and come together.”
That summer work brought noticeable energy to Day 1 of camp.
“Absolutely, I feel like everybody was just excited to be back. Summer was a grind. A lot of you guys have seen on the videos like that. But summer wasn’t easy. Summer was probably one of the hardest summers ever since I’ve been at Clemson,” Hampton said. “And then just being able to go out here with my teammates and actually be able to play football today, that’s just something that was like a relaxer. We got done with all the meetings, and now we’re just back on our practice field, playing all the games, playing football, something we’ve done since we were five or six years old.”
Swinney’s central program motto—”best is the standard”—is something Hampton interprets as an all-encompassing lifestyle.
“Best is the standard is making sure that you’re being intentional in everything you’re doing. In my opinion, from the meeting room, just making sure you’re sitting down taking notes and not just sitting there,” Hampton explained. “You have to make sure that you’re taking notes at a high level. You have to make sure that you’re studying at a high level. You have to make sure you’re practicing at a high level, doing everything at a high level. Nutrition has to be at a high level. There’s no waste. It’s just everything has to come together. In my opinion, it’s basically like a pyramid.”
When asked to name a favorite “Daboism,” Hampton smiled.
“I’m not gonna lie, I really don’t. I have one, but I always mess it up. It’s like I don’t know how to say it,” Hampton admitted. “Yeah, that one. I’ll do what I can. Know how to say it, but it’s that one. Like, if you’ve been up here and heard Coach talk, you definitely heard him say it before. That’s probably my favorite one overall.”
Iron Sharpens Iron Against Elite Wideouts
The Clemson defense faces constant pressure from a talented receiver corps that includes Bryant Wesco, TJ Moore, Tristan Smith, Cole Turner, and Tyler Brown.
Reflecting on spring drills where Swinney noted Hampton was dominating young pass-catchers, Hampton redirected praise back to the freshmen.
“Every single freshman we have is amazing. They’re all going to have great careers. They all came in from day one ready to compete and showed up every single day,” Hampton said. “No matter what happened at practice, they never backed down…And I’m just so proud of all of them from what I’ve seen in the spring and what I’ve seen so far in the summer and everything.”
Now that the receiver room is healthy for fall camp, Hampton embraces the daily standard.
“I said, elite group. Ever since I’ve been here from day one, they’ve been elite. Bryant Wesco, TJ Moore, Tristan Smith, Cole Turner. They’ve always been elite no matter what. Tyler Brown,” Hampton said. “Every single practice is a game rep, because every single guy’s name is going to be, in my opinion, an NFL receiver because they’re amazing talents and have an amazing coach in Tyler Grisham. It’s just a battle every single day.”
Hampton also commented on converted athlete Chris Denson.
“Chris Denson is just an athlete. No matter what, no matter where you put him on the field, he’s got to make plays,” Hampton observed. “Very, very, very smart player. Great teammate, Great person and and and and whatever the coach ask him to do, he, he’s going to go out there and do it to 110 percent to his best of his ability.”
Mentoring Freshmen & Coaching Aspirations
Among the incoming talent, freshman Polo Anderson has reminded Hampton of his own career start.
“Absolutely. Polo reminds me a lot of myself when I was a freshman. Very smart, athletic and just… learning everything so quickly and picking everything up like Polo, he’s gonna be one of them ones,” Hampton said.
Guiding younger players has become second nature for the veteran cornerback.
“Absolutely, it motivates me to help all the freshmen. Everybody’s journey is different. Some of the freshmen now might not play early, but later this season, they might be playing like that,” Hampton said. “Just make sure you take time and spend time with everybody and teach them as much as you can so they don’t make the same mistakes I made when I was younger. I could just help coach them like that.”
When asked if his aptitude for recruiting and leadership portends a coaching career down the road, Hampton pointed to his lineage.
“Absolutely. My dad’s a coach, so that’s something I feel like I have in my blood,” Hampton said. “When I’m done playing football, I think coaching is definitely my calling card.”
Treating Every Opponent Equally
With a marquee opening game against LSU followed by Georgia Southern, Hampton emphasized that preparation cannot fluctuate based on the opponent.
“I would say yes, sir. I would say every game has a sense of urgency,” Hampton said. “It doesn’t really matter who we’re playing each week, because at the end of the day, we’re playing Clemson each week. So we’re going to play LSU week one, they’re going to play Georgia Southern. Each game is a game in its own, but we have to make sure that we’re taking each game seriously. And make sure that we’re taking each game and giving it the respect that it deserves. And making sure we’re not giving one opponent too much respect or one opponent too little respect. We have to treat everybody on an even playing field.”
