He’s the most beloved man on Clemson’s campus. His love for football and for the Clemson Tigers is unparalleled. He’s every student’s dream to meet, the classiest guy around and the biggest unifying face of Clemson University.
He’s Dabo Swinney.
When life starts to get tough, when you have four exams in one week, or when you’re just counting down the days until the next football game, there’s only one cure-all solution.
You need Dabo motivation.
And I’m here to give it to you.
1. “All In”
This is your time. This is the perfect day to absolutely smash it. You can change your life and change the world today. Be here. Be present. Show up and show out because you’re capable and you can do it. Give it your all, your 110% and you can achieve anything. All you have to do is be ALL IN.
2. “If you’re gonna be great, you can’t ever be satisfied.”
You’re destined for greatness, but destiny does not defy hard work. Now is the time to work harder than you’ve ever had to before. Channel your inner Watson, Boulware and Renfrow, and keep pushing until you’re where you want to be. This is it.
Welcome to the grind.
3. “Whatever results you get, learn and grow from it and move on to the next one.”
You’re going to fail. Failure is inevitable. But failure isn’t permanent and it does not define you. Learn a lesson from every experience, take it all in and use that new knowledge to propel you forward.
4. “Think about your dream. Then, put your head down and go to work.”
Keep those goals in mind. Picture them bright and so close to you that you can nearly reach them. Now take your new Dabo motivation and chase those dreams down.
5. “I told them that the difference in the game was going to be love.”
I’m sorry, but if this quote from the best night of my life (AKA the night we won the National Championship) doesn’t make you teary-eyed and filled with so much Clemson and Dabo pride that you want to shout “GO TIGERS” at everyone you see, you’re lying.
6. “BYOG: Bring Your Own Guts”
This might be Dabo’s most famous quote of all time. You’ve seen it on t-shirts; you’ve heard it in class. But don’t let the popularity of this quote dim its brilliance. It’s time to show everyone what you’re made of. It’s scary and challenges will come, but your success is up to you. You just have to be bold enough. You’ve gotta BYOG.
7. “Let the light that shines in you be brighter than the light that shines on you.”
You have so much to offer. You have a light within you that is begging to be shared, but remember to be humble in your successes.
And, as always, go Tigers!