For Mike Reed, championships aren't the measuring stick, 'it's about these young men'

We recently had a chance to catch up with Clemson Assistant Head Coach, Special Teams Coordinator, and Cornerbacks Coach Mike Reed. Here are a few notes from that interview-- or you can watch it in full above.

On wearing a sweatshirt during practice:

“It's not really hot, it kind of protects me from the sun, the sun doesn't hit me. So you get kind of used to it, it's a mindset. If the players can put on a helmet and run around surely the coaches can put on a sweatshirt and do it."

On duties as assistant head coach:

“Anything coach Swinney doesn't want to do, I do.  But it really hasn't changed my mindset because for me I'm that personable guy that's supposed to speak to everybody. I  told the kids in the meeting today Colin Sadler was walking next to me, he's a young freshman and doesn't smile a lot. He’s one of those old school throwback offensive lineman so I told him before we got to the practice field I was going to make him laugh- two minutes later he was laughing.  If you don’t love the people, this is not a job for you.”

On staying at Clemson:

“When you're around good people, you don't want to just go somewhere. I'm not one of those guys that wants to go to the unknown. My family loves it here, and I made relationships with guys and I can't leave them.  You recruit a kid, you make a relationship with the parents and the family. I can't just say I'm leaving for something else, I want to finish the job.  And if it means I'm here the rest of my career, I'm here the rest of my career.  It's a great place to be.”

On what being at Clemson until the job is finished means:

“I don't base it on winning a championship. For me, it's about these young men. The reason why I got into this game is to one help them be successful. So that job will really never end, so I don't know what that means.”

On confidence in the punters right now:

“Until game week, it's gonna be a competition. I don't want anybody getting into a situation where they are comfortable. So, I'm gonna break it down to the last bit and we’ll make that decision.”

On Aidan Swanson:

“He's had a heck of a camp. The young man came out here and he's really matured and he's put in the work and it shows. And it's good, it's his time, it's time to produce."

On role with the addition of two new coordinators:

“I think it's one of those situations where the coach feels like I'm ready for that position, and he's granted me that opportunity. It's just another challenge in my book. Now, I've got to take the baton, and I've got to run with it. The standard is the standard.”

On trust in Toriano (Pride Jr.) and Jeadyn (Lukus):

“Well, in recruiting, I'm one of those guys, I don’t want want to feel like I wasted time going and recruiting somebody. So, if I recruit you, I want to play you.  Heck, I may die tomorrow. I wanna say, hey, I saw you play. That's with any kid I'm recruiting. I'm recruiting you for a purpose. I want to see you play, the schools investing in you. So let's go make something happen. Let's play.”

On Toriano's improvement:

“There are certain things you can do in high school and get away with. At this level, you cannot. Everything matters. In high school, you may take a shortcut to something. This level you can't. Especially with the guys we go against every day. He's got to be very precise as a corner anywhere. One wrong move may not be a short play there could be a big play, could be a touchdown. So, just trying to coach him up and be technically sound. So, at the end of the day, he can rely on technique rather than guessing anything of that nature.”

On any games that stand out from last season:

“I think everything is motivating, for me, I guess. Today's my 50th birthday, so I can't go back and be 21 again. It is what it is. All we gotta do is correct it, and we have to move on.  For us, as I said, you measure a man not when he's failing, but with how he learns from that feeling.”

On who has the most to learn from last season:

“All of us, the ones that were here. You figured we started out early in the season and things looked kind of dim. So for that, you just build and continue building on that so it doesn't happen again.”

On the players getting complacent because the team is ranked No. 4 by the AP:

“We're all about work, and you can rest on your laurels, if you want to-- you can come on this practice field, and you'll get exposed very quickly. The peer pressure that you have amongst your teammates is going to keep you in an uncomfortable position.”

On seeing the cornerbacks go against Antonio Williams:

“One, it's two-sided for me because one, he's a punt returner. So, I like his skill set. A kid that doesn't get easily rattled. He brings a different element to the game, very elusive and explosive athlete. So, I like that for my players because now that they know he's not the 6’3 kid. He's the 6-foot kid, and it challenges us.”

On Fred Davis:

“One, he's a corner, so I'm the biggest cheerleader. So, when I see kids make those strides, that's what you love to see. Sometimes, you want it to happen earlier. But hey, God's got his plan for everything, and he's stuck to it. Where a lot of kids would have transferred or run from it, he stuck in there, and he's learned his lesson and grown. His work ethic is more refined. He's taking a lot of accountability on some things, and he's starting to put himself in a leadership role, where he's trying to hold other guys accountable.”

On Nate Wiggins:

“I mean, Nate is doing a good job, but all the rest of them are doing a good job. I want a very good group, I don't want to have just one guy. I want to be able to get in a situation where I throw anybody out there, and there's no drop-off. Nate's having a good camp but gotta make sure they're all sitting in an uncomfortable state. I don't want them to feel like they've arrived.”

On Sheridan Jones:

“He's my leader. He's in a great place. I love where he's at, you know. He recently graduated, and like I said, that's the ultimate goal -- is to graduate. He's got something in his pocket, so now he can go out there and play."

On having older players on the team:

“We have great chemistry in our locker room, and I think that's what really does it, you know with the culture and culture building, you know, it's really a family. It's almost like they're big brothers, mentoring the younger kids. A lot of kids have known about our program through the recruiting process, so when they come in, they know what's expected of them. So it's a very easy process. When you have a coaching staff that's been together, you have a blueprint. We're all speaking the same thing. It's very easy.”

On special teams pride:

“At the end of the day, it's a reflection of me. So for me, I have great pride in it. My name is on it -- my signature. So, if I'm going to put my name on anything, it's gotta mean something.  I want this team to understand the importance of special teams. And that's where you get a lot of guys who may not play offense or defense, who may get their only opportunity on special teams. So, I want to have an excitement about special teams. So, when you see us play, you're gonna be like, ‘wow!’  Not just offense and defense, but all three phases.”

On BT Potter:

“You gotta put him on a pitch count. Be smart. You can't sit there and let him kick all the practice. But it gives those other guys an opportunity to show what they got, so when the time comes and their numbers are called, they're ready to go.”

On special teams roles:

“It's too early. As I said, all those guys provide something great, different."

On Malcolm Greene being healthy:

“He is like a spark plug. He's like the energizer bunny. If he doesn't bring that juice, I'm gonna find him. That's one thing he does, and I love him. You guys saw me on signing day. I cried about him because he's a very emotional kid. He plays passionately. He's a loving guy. He's a great young man. Everything you ask him, he does. He is the epitome of a Clemson player, and I'm one of his biggest cheerleaders.”

On losing Myles Oliver to injury:

“It hurts. I brought him here for a reason. I want to see him play. And to have a young man not be able to play, they feel disconnected. So, it's my job to say, come on, man, this is a little setback. This is a little wake-up call, you have to fight now. You gotta struggle. But it's sad.”