The Clemson Dubcast

Al Adams

The reason legendary Clemson sports information director Tim Bourret ended up at Clemson in the first place was because Al Adams got a wild idea to start a Clemson-themed newsletter.

Adams, a Clemson grad, was working for Bob Bradley in the sports-information office when he stumbled on an idea. Why not capitalize on the growing fervor for Clemson football in the late 1970s by producing a weekly newspaper? Thus the Orange and White was born, and thus Bradley brought in a young Bourret from Notre Dame to replace Adams.

Adams, who for years has been a fixture as the press-box PA announcer at Memorial Stadium, tells some great stories about the old days -- including when Danny Ford flipped out on him for reporting something he didn't want out during the 1980 season.

Adams' sidekick at the Orange and White, Steve Ellis, went on to cover most of Bobby Bowden's tenure at Florida State for The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper.

J.D. Davis

Former Clemson linebacker J.D. Davis, son of Clemson legend Jeff Davis, reflects on the impact of the PAW Journey on his life and the lives of many other Clemson football players.

When Jeff Davis worked in the football office under Tommy Bowden while also doubling as a fundraiser for IPTAY, he could only dream of what has unfolded as PAW Journey has become a pioneer in preparing athletes for life after football. One of Swinney's first decisions upon getting the head-coaching job was putting Jeff Davis in full charge of preparing his players for the real world. 

J.D. recalls the day in 2003 when he first met Swinney. The Swinney family was building a house next door to the Davises, and in walked Will and Drew Swinney. "We've been best friends ever since," J.D. says.

J.D., who closed his football career by helping Clemson win the 2018 national championship, now works for Adobe. An internship with Adobe while he was at Clemson was vital in his securing of a full-time job with the multinational computer software company.

 

Brette Simmons

Brette Simmons is a former longtime assistant coach at N.C. State under Dick Sheridan and Mike O'Cain.

Simmons, who coached with Robbie Caldwell and remains close with the Tigers' offensive line coach, tells some priceless stories about what it was like to work with Caldwell.

Simmons recounts how close Sheridan was to taking the Georgia job after Vince Dooley hung up his whistle (Sheridan, in fact, had accepted the job but pulled out when the news leaked).

He also shares insight into N.C. State's casual attitude toward facilities improvements during the tenures of Sheridan and O'Cain, followed by a major emphasis once Chuck Amato took over following O'Cain's firing.

Simmons has vivid memories of what it was like to battle Clemson on the recruiting trail when Danny Ford and his staff made North Carolina a large part of their talent procurement.

He also recalls the surreal day in 1987 when an N.C. State team that would finish 4-7 went to Clemson and was up 30-0 at halftime and barely survived a rare passing assault by Rodney Williams in a 30-28 Wolfpack victory. Sheridan's teams won three straight over Clemson in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Simmons has written a book on legendary South Carolina high school coach Doug Bennett, who coached Swansea High from 1954 to 1989 and had the courage to stand up and battle massive resistance to public-school integration in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Bennett is a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian honor. He is one of six brothers who served WWII, and remarkably all six survived.

Simmons' book about Bennett's remarkable life is titled "Man in the Gap."

Kelly Quinlan

Kelly Quinlan, publisher of the Georgia Tech Rivals site and several others in the Rivals network including Mississippi State, South Florida, Wake Forest and Cincinnati, shares what it's like to juggle so many sites serving so many different fan bases.

Quinlan also reflects on what it was like to develop a close relationship with Paul Johnson, close enough that Johnson would share some rather memorable off-the-record thoughts -- including being angry when Dabo Swinney parted ways with Kevin Steele ("I own that guy," Johnson told Quinlan).

Quinlan was also close with Dan Radakovich when he was AD at Georgia Tech. He shares insight into what made Radakovich jump at the chance to take the Clemson job.

And finally, Quinlan gives his take on second-year Tech coach Geoff Collins and the momentum he's built as a starkly different leader than his predecessor.

 

 

Dr. Jerry McGee

Jerry McGee was a college football referee from 1972-2009. He was also a university president.

He developed countless relationships with coaches and players during that time, including some of the game's most decorated figures.

McGee recently co-authored a book with his two sons entitled: "Sidelines and Bloodlines: A Father, His Sons, and Our Life in College Football."

McGee often took his sons Ryan and Sam on road trips in the ACC and beyond. Ryan became a sportswriter and is now a distinguished writer and personality at ESPN.

Jerry McGee knew Danny Ford and his assistants well and witnessed firsthand the transformation of Clemson's football program in the late 1970s. 

He also has a great appreciation for not just Dabo Swinney's reviving of the glory days, but how he's done it.

Dr. McGee gives his thoughts on the best team he ever saw, the best player, the loudest stadium and -- yes, the nastiest fans.

 

 

 

 

Keith Jennings

Keith Jennings calls from the road as he scouts college football players for the Buffalo Bills (He's in Alabama but won't say who he's scouting).

The former Tiger receiver and NFL veteran looks back at the Danny Ford days of Clemson football, his recruitment to Clemson (he was going to Florida State until Seminoles assistant Art Baker took the head job at East Carolina), his relationship with Deion Sanders and the rivalry with South Carolina.

Jennings, who worked on Dabo Swinney's staff in 2015 and 2016, recounts what he learned from being on the inside of an ascending college football powerhouse.

He also shares news of a health scare recently when he learned he has an enlarged heart. He believes it's from COVID and says he now has a defibrillator at age 54.

Jennings also gives his take on how Swinney has handled turbulent times over the past few months.

 

 

 

Woody Dantzler

When he was about to leave for Clemson, Woody Dantzler sat down for a talk with his father.

"Don't go up there and just be a football player," his father told him.

Dantzler lived out that command not just as a student, but in his post-football life.

He was a force of nature on the field, and now he seeks to be a force of change off it as he works with Greenville County schools to better accommodate the needs and talents of teachers and students alike.

Dantzler also is a motivational speaker and a mentor to current Clemson football players.

He is also pursuing a master's degree.

And on top of all that, he has a full-time job as a pharmaceutical sales rep.

Dantzler, who lives in Greenville with his wife and two girls, gives his ideas for making the world a better place.

He also shares his thoughts on how Dabo Swinney and Clemson have handled a turbulent spring and summer.

 

 

 

Don Munson and Tim Bourret

The play-by-play voice and color analyst for Clemson's radio network prepare themselves to broadcast games without actually being there. Starting with Saturday's season opener at Wake Forest, the radio broadcasts for road games will originate from Clemson's athletics department studios.

Munson gives insight into a tumultuous spring and summer for Clemson football, and shares just how hard it was on Dabo Swinney and his family.

Bourret, who retired as Clemson's sports information director two years ago, tells of what life is like working part-time on TV broadcasts of the PGA Tour. He also gives his thoughts on the relationship between the sports media and coaches they cover, and how media access is different than it was 20 and 30 years ago.

Jack Maddox and Vernon Burton

Jack Maddox recently phoned his parents and told them they didn't have to pay out-of-state tuition to Clemson this semester: Dabo Swinney awarded the former walk-on a scholarship. Maddox, who is from Boston, tells the story of how he ended up at Clemson. His mother, a high-school history teacher in Boston, has found a way to attend every Clemson home game during his college career.

Vernon Burton, a distinguished history professor at Clemson, looks back at the captivating story of Harvey Gantt's admission to the school in 1963. What was called "Integration with Dignity" came after a lengthy battle in the courts and much controversy, and Burton sifts through the finer points of that chapter. Burton also weighs in on the recent trend of tearing down monuments and renaming buildings.

David Hale and Sharone Wright

David Hale of ESPN.com joins the podcast to talk what life has been like as a national reporter over the last few months, both within the job and within his social-media interaction. He also gives his perspective on how much Dabo Swinney has evolved as the world around him changes in profound ways. And finally, he shares the big green revelation that has changed his culinary life.

 

Sharone Wright shares the story of an infection he contracted while swimming with his children in a pool, later leading to the amputation of one of his legs. The former Clemson basketball star reflects on the bond he still shares with his basketball brethren at Clemson including Elden Campbell, Horace Grant, Dale Davis and Wayne Buckingham. He recounts why he, a McDonald's All-American who could've gone anywhere, spurned North Carolina and Duke to come to Clemson. He then gives his perspective on the recent boycotts and protests in the NBA and elsewhere.