"Leadership to the end" In defeat, Clelin Ferrell stood up

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Late Tuesday night Clemson SID Tim Bourret tweeted that after Clemson's 24-6 loss to Alabama, defensive end Clelin Ferrell sought him out and stated, "Mr. Bourret if you need someone to go to the press conference I will go." Bourret called it "Leadership to the very end." 

That's what this Clemson program is built around. Leadership. 

Clelin Ferrell, a redshirt sophomore, stepped up to the plate when Bourret needed him. 

After the Alabama game last night Clelin Ferrell came to me in the locker room. "Mr. Bourret if you need someone to go to the press conference I will go." That is leadership to the very end.

— Tim Bourret (@TimBourret) January 2, 2018

Ferrell volunteered to join head coach Dabo Swinney and Kelly Bryant and face a large pool of local and national media members who wanted the scoop on what happened during Clemson's Sugar Bowl loss.

That's not something that many players would "want" to do.

Don't believe me? Let me give you a look inside the locker room after the game.

I was one of the media members who ventured into an open locker room filled with Clemson players after the game. There were plenty of tears and heavy hearts.

All of the time, effort, and energy that this team put in to have a shot at back to back titles had just slipped through their fingers.

Some players sunk into their lockers avoiding the eye of the media. I could overhear players asking those guys, "Are you good?"

Others simply held their heads in their hands thinking about what could have been.

Some took questions, answered honestly and emotionally about the outcome of the game.

I've often said to fans after a painful loss, "Can you imagine what the players feel like?" They are the ones who put in the work to carry the entire fanbase on an adventure every season. They are the ones who shoulder the burden of defeat. 

I got to see that up close Monday night. It's not fun. 

I got my fair share of interviews, and you can watch those above, but many players just seemed to hope that the media's time would end before they could be asked a question.

I did my job, but there were a few players who looked really down, and I just felt compelled to say "thanks." 

For crying out loud, I'm a Clemson graduate who gets to cover this team during the pinnacle of Clemson football. I had to suffer through a college career mostly filled by seasons under Tommy West.

These guys give me their thoughts and feelings after games for half of the year so that ClemsonSportsTalk.com can bring you great content. 

I didn't need any significant quotes. 

I pulled Dexter Lawrence to the side and let him know that even with a loss, their efforts don't go unnoticed by the fans, including my two children.

I spoke privately with Tyrone Crowder for a few moments. The big man from Marston, North Carolina had a memorable career at guard. For Crowder, this was his last game as a Tiger. 

It was hard. It was honest. It was the right thing for me to do.

But so was Ferrell's decision to step up to the plate and do what few would have wanted to do. He faced the larger media pool assembled.

Asked about the physical play, Ferrell stated, "We knew coming into the game it was going to be a grown man's game. We didn't really feel overwhelmed because we understood what we were getting into. We played in this game the past two years, and we understand how physical of a game it was going to be. Like we said, the game was going to be won and lost in the trenches. As a team, we just feel like we didn't do a joint effort together to come out with a W. And the scoreboard showed it."

Ferrell could have been silent. He could have hoped that he wasn't asked to go, but instead, he stood up and did what he thought was right.

I'm sure any other player in the room would have gone to the press conference if asked by Bourret, but they didn't have to. Their brother, their teammate, their friend, showed leadership beyond his years. 

It's that kind of sacrifice that has helped build Clemson into the program that it is today.