Klubnik Credits Former NFL Coach with Improvement

CLEMSON — The 10th-ranked Clemson Tigers have grown significantly in the past year.

All sides of the ball look different and feel different, too. Something about how the team plays, who is competing on the field, and the system they currently have in action makes a world of difference to their old selves.

Growth has come in many different ways for many players and coaches, and it has been very enjoyable to see the fruits of it. The journey has especially been prominent for quarterback Cade Klubnik, who took away a lot of things this past summer at the Manning Passing Academy.

“Just a couple little things that they would talk to me about,” he said. “How to approach the game, especially year-to-year and stuff like that. I definitely learned a lot from Coach [Pete] Caroll and some other guys.”

Pete Carroll, former Super Bowl winning head coach for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and National Champion coach at USC, was one of many figures present at the Manning Passing Academy, and his status and knowledge is a very valuable tool to learn from. According to Klubnik, he took a lot from Carroll, as well as others at the camp.

“I was really thankful for those conversations,” Klubnik said. “I can’t really think of one nitpicky thing that they taught me, but going through my notes, I bet, if I looked at them now, I would be able to really dissect and be like, ‘yeah, that’s helping me, that’s helping me, that’s helping me.'”

Not only did the things he was taught impact him over the camp, but they also transferred into the new season.

“I looked over [his notes] a lot through fall camp, just kind of getting me through the season,” Klubnik said.

The Clemson quarterback certainly hopes to maintain his level of success on Saturday (noon, ACCN), when the Tigers host Virginia at Memorial Stadium.