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CLEMSON | Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney addressed the media following Monday's practice.

Here are some of his comments (footnotes/quotes):

"We are coming off a rally good practice. Today we got into some situational stuff and field position work. Just great energy, man. As weird as it is, I’ve never had as much fun at a camp as this one. I think that’s just a deeper appreciation for what we have and do what we do. We have incredible leadership on this team. I am super-proud of these guys and kind of taken charge in having a season and articulating their thoughts and beliefs. I couldn’t be more proud to stand alongside and support them.

"This game is important to so many people. What we have going on right here, right now is special. This is the safest environment we could have for these guys, without a doubt. They don’t have the sanitized environment we have here. We have had one guy test positive since early July. That doesn’t mean someone can’t get he virus. I just wanted to make sure everyone understands we know there is risk. But if we cancel football, the virus doesn’t go away. No one has to be here. I have two sons here. If you told me that cancelling football would get rid of the virus, I’d sign up right away. But that’s not the case.

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"Some people will say you’re just doing this for financial reason. Our staff is going to get paid no matter what we do. Our players will be on scholarship no matter what we do.

"This is what we love to do."

ALSO SEE: Clemson's verbal commitments

**** On whether he would be for a players’ association:

"Absolutely. A long time, we’ve had the Student Athletic Advisory committee, and there have been a lot of good things that come from that organization for athletics. But football is, it’s own thing. It’s different that basketball, baseball, volleyball. I think it would be great to have a players association. That’s different from a union, I’ll say that.

"To be honest with you, that’s what we have here. We have a players association. All of these players, we’ve had lots of communication and through our players’ voice. That, on a bigger scale throughout college football, would be awesome.

**** Swinney reiterated that Clemson’s quarantine program, nutrition program and other benefits make it better to have the players on campus.

"Everything here is mitigated. Yes, guys could still get it and I could still get it. But we all have to make our risk assessments in life. it’s always been that way. It’s not going to be any different in the spring. So at some point, we have to find a way. I’ve made my decision, our football team has made its decision. Hopefully people will respect our decision and allow us to play."

**** Swinney was asked if he could see ACC teams blending with the SEC or others for a unique scheduling situation:

"You’d have to ask Dan Radakovich that. I’ll just tell you we’ll play whoever, whenever, wherever. We’re just going to keep rolling and get ourselves ready. Football is a developmental game.

"They are student-ahtletes, not just students. That’s part of why they came. We’ve always been on campus before the student body. This week it’s just a few weeks longer. Yes, it’s a unique year. But we can all still students online. But you can’t be an athlete online. This is part of what we’re here to do."

MONDAY NIGHT COMMENTS FROM TREVOR LAWRENCE

**** "We were like, 'We've got to do something quick and we’ve got to do something that will make people read it and make people listen.' All the momentum was going the wrong way for us, so we really wanted to change that."

**** "When the decisions are being made on our behalf, that affect us tremendously, it would be great if we could have the players’ voice."

**** Lawrence reiterated his believe that there is a way to play football safely.

**** Lawrence said if there's no football then guys are going to be going downtown, going home and behaving a lot less safely than they are now.

**** The goal is not to revolt or rebel, but to bring people together.

DARIEN RENCHER

**** Rencher called last night's movement the "Hail Mary" after players began getting word football was on the verge of being wiped away.

"We just wanted to bring about unity. I think seeing other players across the country, it’s not like we were saying different things."

**** They want an association and not a union. Rencher said he wants there to be one collective voice, perhaps reps from each conference. Goal is "to unite our voices with the people in power." Said it's due time for players to get more than they got in the past, but the biggest thing they're rallying around is to play. If they don't play, they won't have leverage to effect change.

**** We're not trying to revolt as much as we're trying to unite. Feels like there's a broken chain of command where they're not hearing us and we're not hearing them. Those who can afford the testing should be able to do it.

**** Rencher thinks it's commendable that the ACC and SEC aren't making decisions just because everybody else is making them.

**** If it gets bad, let's not do it. Right now it's good. They owe it to the players to fight for us.

**** "We all want to play. The majority of us."

**** The seniors created a new social-media policy that Dabo allowed the players to vote on. Will tighten social media activity on game days and such. But they'll be on social media during the season for the first time in some eight years.

Tigerillustrated.com will have much more Tuesday morning.

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