Wednesday AM: Davis Allen steps up to the mic for the first time
On Tuesday afternoon, freshman tight end Davis Allen made his debut in front of the media. We initially requested Allen after seeing him continuing to get more and more reps with the first-team offense, especially after pushing a pile to allow Travis Etienne to score a touchdown at NC State.
Allen, the 6-foot-6 tight end from Calhoun, Ga., missed most of fall camp dealing with an injury, but Swinney has always been complimentary of Allen’s intelligence, especially at a position that is so hard to grasp.
Allen seems to be developing physically, is starting to look the part, and is getting more and more comfortable as the season rolls along.
– How difficult has it been for you to learn the tight end position?
“It’s been a challenge. There is just so much that goes into it, like you said. A lot of information that you gotta know. JC Chalke and Luke Price have really helped me out with just trying to learn it as best as they can. Garrett Williams helped me as well. The extra work with coach Danny Pearman has helped me out, too.”
– Was there any point during fall camp you thought this would be a redshirt year?
“It went through my mind, I guess. You gotta wait for the foot to heal, or whatever. It definitely went through my mind but all I was really focused on was trying to get the foot better and learn mentally as much as could while I couldn’t really fo anything physically, but as much as I could mentally help my chances.”
– You’ve made the road trips, gotten in earlier and earlier in games, has it gone about as well as you’ve hoped for?
“I’m thankful for the opportunity and I’m just thankful to be here, really, much less just play. It’s kind of been everything I’ve imagined and more.”
– Helped that you played in this kind of offense and were a receiver in high school?
“Definitely had similar stuff in high school that we do here. I kinda played that H-back position in high school a little bit, which helped. Played a little bit of wideout a little so it definitely does help.”
– What attracted you to Clemson more than anything?
“Definitely the coaches. They are just real with you. What you hear from coach Dabo Swinney in the press conferences after the game, that’s what we hear in the locker room when he is talking to us. He keeps it real. What I noticed was that they truly cared about you more as a person than a football player, which I liked. It’s definitely the biggest thing that has brought me here.
– What can you learn from watching Braden Galloway and how he’s handled all this and yet go about his business?
“What he’s doing is hard. Really hard. He comes to practice every day and film and everything and he has the best attitude. He just his normal self wherever. Really, I’ve learned that it’s a process and you really have a choice of how you are going to choose your attitude for the day. He’s always got a great attitude and he attacks the day like it’s any other day.
“(Galloway) wants to be out there. I can tell. He’s doing everything he can, from what I’ve seen, and he’s been talking about how he’s been counting the days down. He’s waiting.”
– What’s your relationship like with Jaelyn Lay as two freshmen tight ends coming in together?
“It’s been good. We’ve actually gotten really close. He’s from Georgia, I’m from Georgia so we kind of have that similar. We’ve connected on a level outside of football and we’ve become pretty good friends.”
– Did you realize you were pushing Travis Etienne in the end zone during a touchdown on Saturday night?
“I was just trying to block my guy or whatever, and then I turned around and he was right there. I guess I need to help any way I can so I just tried to do my best.”
– How special does seeing Etienne approach the all-time Clemson rushing record mean to you?
“I’m just thankful to be witnessing it, much less be a part of it. He’s a special athlete and he’s going to do big things and break even more records. So I’m just really thankful.”
– Aspects you take from playing linebacker in high school to playing tight end?
“You gotta be physical. That’s one of the things that coach Pearman preaches is, ‘you gotta be smart, but you gotta be physical, too.’ My dad played linebacker in college and my brother played on the defensive side in college, so all I was taught growing up was you gotta be physical. I love that part about linebacker so getting the opportunity to display some physicalness - I’m all about that.”
– His dad played at Georgia and is now “All in” at Clemson. Whole family makes every game home and away.
– On Luke Price:
“He’s a really smart football player, especially in practice. Coach Brent Venables throws everything at us and Luke does a really good job breaking it down because he’s been on that side and he knows how coach Venables thinks. He knows his stuff about defenses.”