Kelly Bryant "ready" for opportunity to face Alabama
Kelly Bryant | Quarterback | Clemson University
On fighting for the starting position and having people doubt the offense without Deshaun Watson:
“It’s a process. After the championship game last year, everyone was talking about how we couldn’t get back to this stage and not a lot of people gave this team a chance. So we took that doubt and ran with it and had that mindset of coming ready to work and here we are right now.”
On getting the opportunity to play Alabama:
“It’s something every kid that grows up watching football dreams about - playing in a semifinal game against a team like Alabama. I’m ready and I’m trying to embrace it and make the most of this opportunity.”
On being backup quarterback to Deshaun Watson – wishing to play or knowing the role would be backup:
“A little bit of both. As a competitor, I always wanted to be out there playing but there’s always a time when you have to be patient and wait your turn, and that’s what I did. I continued to grow and soak up as much knowledge as I could through Deshaun and the coaching staff. It helped me become the player I am today.”
On the effect of Coach Dabo Swinney recruiting high-rated QBs:
“The coaches are straight up with you. They tell you they are going to bring in the top rated players in the country and that you need to make sure you are working and pushing yourself to be a better player at all times.”
On Coach Dabo Swinney’s personality and how he has allowed Bryant to lead:
“He’s a player’s coach. That’s one thing that caught my eye during recruitment. He’s been straight up with me and can relate to me. He’s down to earth, what you see on TV is what you get. He has allowed me to embrace who I am as a player and a person. Having the support from him and the coaching staff just makes your comfort as a player go up.”
Mitch Hyatt | Offensive Tackle | Clemson University
On Clemson QB Kelly Bryant:
“Knowing Kelly, since I came in with him, he’s always been a great guy. Always calm and collected, never flinches at anything. I think he’s really excelled this year and has surpassed the expectations anyone had for him. If you talk to Kelly, you can tell from just the confidence he has that he’s determined. He’s focused. You can tell from how confident he looks when he’s making plays, scrambling around making plays on his feet.”
On the biggest difference between this defensive front for Alabama vs. last year:
“This year they’re definitely a lot tougher. It’s harder to move off the ball from the point of attack. They’re definitely more stout inside. You can see that from tape. They do a lot of variations, so we’ve got to recognize those and get the right calls to the line.”
On if they have more confidence as an offense now that they’ve seen Alabama’s offensive scheme:
“Yeah, we know what to expect this game. This is the third year we’re playing them so we know what they’re going to bring and how tough the game is going to be. It’s just going to be a brawl out there.”
On the best front seven they’ve played this year:
“We’ve played a lot of great front sevens. Alabama’s up there and they might be the best we’ll play all year. Auburn and NC State have two great front sevens, but Alabama just poses a different threat. It’s going to be a different challenge for us.”
