Notre Dame Football
Swinney has no problem taking Pagano back
April 6, 2017
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Article written by Will Vandervort of TheClemsonInsider.com
Link: Swinney has no problem taking Pagano back
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said he has spoken with Scott Pagano here and there, but the former defensive tackle has not indicated to him that he wants to come back to the football team.
Pagano, who has already graduated, announced he was leaving the Clemson football team on Feb. 17 in hopes of transferring to another school’s graduate program. The Hawaii native has already visited Notre Dame and Oklahoma and is scheduled to visit Oregon this weekend.
However, as The Clemson Insider reported on Wednesday, Pagano has not ruled out the possibility of coming back to Clemson.
“He knows where my office is. He has my number. I’m easy to find,” Swinney said jokingly when asked if Pagano had spoken with him about coming back.
In all seriousness, though, Swinney says he would take Pagano back if he indeed wanted to come back to Clemson.
“I would have no problem,” the Clemson coach said. “Just simply because … there are other guys who have left the program that would not have that opportunity. But, he is a guy that has been incredibly committed and has done everything that has been asked of him. He is a graduate.
“Sometimes guys lose their way a little bit. We have had lots of guys … Jay Guillermo was gone for a whole spring and summer one. I didn’t know if I would ever see him again. Not only did he come back, but he became a captain of the team. We have different guys from time-to-time that have different issues that maybe you give them another opportunity and most of the time they take advantage of it. Sometimes they don’t. You go from there.”
Though Swinney would take Pagano back if he wanted to come back, he says he would also get the opinion of the team’s leadership and would see if they would be okay with it as well.
“I think it is one of those things where the team will have some say in that,” Swinney said. “That is something the leadership of the team will have input in.”
Pagano, who is enrolled at Clemson this spring and is still working out at the Allen Reeves Football Complex, started 13 games at Clemson since 2015, including four last season when he recorded 31 tackles and had 4.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks. He has played in 31 games overall as a Tiger since 2014.
“I love Scott,” Swinney said. “I think he is an unbelievable young person. He is the epitome of what you want in your program. He is a guy that is incredibly committed. He always has been. He is one of the hardest workers we have had come through here. He felt (transferring) was something he wanted to go do and I wish him well.
“Sometimes guys change their mind. He has not indicated that to me. If he does, we will see what happens.”
Link: Swinney has no problem taking Pagano back
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said he has spoken with Scott Pagano here and there, but the former defensive tackle has not indicated to him that he wants to come back to the football team.
Pagano, who has already graduated, announced he was leaving the Clemson football team on Feb. 17 in hopes of transferring to another school’s graduate program. The Hawaii native has already visited Notre Dame and Oklahoma and is scheduled to visit Oregon this weekend.
However, as The Clemson Insider reported on Wednesday, Pagano has not ruled out the possibility of coming back to Clemson.
“He knows where my office is. He has my number. I’m easy to find,” Swinney said jokingly when asked if Pagano had spoken with him about coming back.
In all seriousness, though, Swinney says he would take Pagano back if he indeed wanted to come back to Clemson.
“I would have no problem,” the Clemson coach said. “Just simply because … there are other guys who have left the program that would not have that opportunity. But, he is a guy that has been incredibly committed and has done everything that has been asked of him. He is a graduate.
“Sometimes guys lose their way a little bit. We have had lots of guys … Jay Guillermo was gone for a whole spring and summer one. I didn’t know if I would ever see him again. Not only did he come back, but he became a captain of the team. We have different guys from time-to-time that have different issues that maybe you give them another opportunity and most of the time they take advantage of it. Sometimes they don’t. You go from there.”
Though Swinney would take Pagano back if he wanted to come back, he says he would also get the opinion of the team’s leadership and would see if they would be okay with it as well.
“I think it is one of those things where the team will have some say in that,” Swinney said. “That is something the leadership of the team will have input in.”
Pagano, who is enrolled at Clemson this spring and is still working out at the Allen Reeves Football Complex, started 13 games at Clemson since 2015, including four last season when he recorded 31 tackles and had 4.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks. He has played in 31 games overall as a Tiger since 2014.
“I love Scott,” Swinney said. “I think he is an unbelievable young person. He is the epitome of what you want in your program. He is a guy that is incredibly committed. He always has been. He is one of the hardest workers we have had come through here. He felt (transferring) was something he wanted to go do and I wish him well.
“Sometimes guys change their mind. He has not indicated that to me. If he does, we will see what happens.”
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