The pregame ritual Tanner Muse must take part in: finding his mom
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It’s not uncommon to see athletes take part in some sort of intriguing pregame ritual or superstition.
And who are we to judge? Sports fans can also be the culprit of those very same types of rituals. You may think wearing that faded jersey inside out when your team is playing on the road will help them win. That’s what makes sports fun - and sometimes strange.
The reason for these peculiar routines is simple: competing at the highest level by any means necessary.
At least that’s the mindset senior Clemson safety Tanner Muse has when he takes part in his personal pregame ritual. He said Monday that if he doesn’t accomplish this simple, yet sometimes challenging task, then he knows he won’t have a good game.
That’s where Shannon Muse comes in.
“I gotta find her or I will not have a good game,” Muse admitted.
The star safety’s routine is easy in most cases: get to the field before the game, then look up into the stands and find his parents. A wave to mom or a head nod to his father, Kevin, usually gets the job done.
“I’ve always done it,” Muse added. “My dad, he always gives me one of these (questioning hands) like, ‘whatcha gonna do?’ and sometimes he’ll give me a, ‘here’s the level that everyone’s usually peaking at but I want to hit it here.’ So that’s kind of like our thing, and then mom will be like (waving hands). She’s just always so excited to be there so that’s kind of my thing. I’ve just got to have that.”
The tradition has been around ever since he was a kid when he and his brother Nick, who is currently a tight end on South Carolina’s roster, first put on the pads.
“I can hear my dad no matter where I am, no matter what the situation is, how loud it is,” Muse added. “He has this distinct whistle like that and he does that for Nick, too. We’ve done that since we were just starting but yeah, he’s always got our attention.”
The Muse family always travels so the tradition carries over on the road. That’s where the tradition could get dicey due to different seat selection, like before last weekend’s blowout 55-10 win at North Carolina State.
“I’ve gotten good, I’ve been around enough to know where all the away places are,” Muse said. “They put them behind the band for the NC State game way up top so I had to find her. It was tough but I found her.”
Muse has become a staple on the backend of what has been an incredible Clemson defense. The Tigers are currently No. 4 in the country in total defense and have held opposing offenses to less than 300 yards in all ten games this season - something that has only been accomplished twice since 2000.
After Clemson’s ferocious front led by Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell, and Christian Wilkins departed for the 2018 NFL Draft, it was Muse’s decision to return that ended up paying off not only for the defense as a whole, but for him as an NFL prospect as well.
Head coach Dabo Swinney said Muse will bring a lot of diversity to an NFL roster wherever he ends up playing. His straight-line speed and physicality will set him up to be a linebacker in the league instead of safety, according to Swinney.
“Muse has helped himself probably more than anybody,” Swinney said.
The fifth-year senior from Belmont, North Carolina has had quite a career. In 54 games played, Muse has made 174 total tackles, 90 of which have been unassisted. He also has 7.5 tackles for loss and six interceptions to his name. This season, Muse is a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to college football’s top defensive back.
In 54 games played, his senior class holds a 51-3 record with five consecutive Atlantic division titles, four consecutive ACC titles, and two national championships. There have been only three prior classes in college football history to win at least 52 games.
A win on Saturday against Wake Forest would also give Clemson a school-record 22 straight wins inside Death Valley and 26 straight overall while in pursuit of another conference and national championship.
Muse doesn’t think any of the accolades will hit him until later on in life.
“Probably when I get my own kids I’ll come back and show them what their dad did,” Muse said.
“When you pick a school, you just kinda want to pick a good fit. I thought coach (Dan) Brooks, he recruited me, and he was just a good fit for me. I really related to him very well, we talked just life things. He’s from Kings Mountain, I’m from Belmont, so it’s a really close area.
“Picking a school, you never think about the outcome of winning and things like that. You just try to the best fit for you so I’ve been blessed beyond just being able to be in these big-time games and just the experiences I’ve had in all the different cities. Seeing everything has just been magical really.”
His first touchdown, a 64-yard pick-six against Syracuse in 2016, is his favorite moment inside Death Valley. But the defining moment of his career, Muse says, came in 2016 on special teams.
Some may forget his blocked punt in the national championship game against Alabama that helped change the momentum of what was a game for the ages. The team’s special teams Player of the Year got a hand on the ball, finished the play, and of course, looked to the stands to find mom and dad.
At that point, Kevin Muse had tears in his eyes.
On Senior Day against Wake Forest, Tanner Muse will take part in his pregame ritual inside Death Valley for the final time.
Only this time he won’t have to look too hard for his parents before the game. They’ll be waiting to greet him right at the bottom of The Hill, teary-eyed and all, soaking it all in.
“I haven’t thought about it too much because I know I’m going to get all tore up,” Muse said. “Probably when I look down and see mom and dad down there, it’ll hit me pretty good and I’ll get all emotional. I don’t like to, but it’s part of it.”