Exclusive Interview: Ray-Ray McCloud joins Clemson Sports Talk
Sunday afternoon, Ray-Ray McCloud made his decision to leave Clemson early for the NFL. McCloud who was one of Clemson most dynamic playmakers in recent seasons joined Lawton Swann to talk about his time as a Tiger.
McCloud, a 2017 Honorable Mention All-ACC selection averaged 12.1 yards per punt return, 7th best in college football. McCloud was also a contributor on offense with 1,226 career receiving yards and four touchdowns.
| Opening Statement: |
"Thank you for having me for one. I want to thank all the Clemson fans to start off. It’s an honor and a blessing. I prayed about it….so long."
| When did you know what you were going to do? |
"Going into college me and Deon talked about being three and done. When we got to college, we were like, 'Let’s just win,' and that’s what we did. We had the opportunity to go to the College Football Playoff three years in a row. I prayed about it after the Miami game and talked to my family a few times; my decision was to leave. Coach Swinney gave me his blessing.”
| Are you close to graduating and will you get your degree? |
“Yes, sir. I promised my momma that I was getting my degree, that’s number one. That’s the reason why I went to Clemson in the first place.”
| Give us some insight into Kelly Bryant and Deshaun Watson's ability to lead Clemson to three straight College Football Playoff appearances. |
“I’m going to start with Kelly. For one Kelly has the same characteristics as Deshaun. His leadership skills are out the roof. The way he leads is by example and also vocal, which Deshaun was by example, but Deshaun wasn’t as vocal as Kelly. Me and Kelly being so close coming in together, working out together, being backups together, was something that built our chemistry. What makes both of them so great is their work ethic.”
| I'm an NFL executive, why am I drafting Ray-Ray McCloud? |
“Winning mentality, leadership, hard work, strong by faith. Just great energy to the locker room. That’s something I’m bringing from Clemson into the NFL.”
| What do you hear regarding your draft status? |
“I leave that up to the Lord. I don’t think about it. I just work hard every day. Play with a purpose and just leave that in the Lord’s hands.”
Enjoy the full audio interview with Ray-Ray McCloud at the top of this page.