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The Making of a Man: How Greek life, maturity, and lessons learned helped Shaq Smith

CLEMSON – “Things don’t always come when you want it, but they always come on time.”

Clemson linebacker Shaq Smith said those words to me two years ago as Clemson prepared to take on Alabama in the National Championship Game in Tampa, Fla. Smith redshirted the 2016 season and was looking forward to grabbing playing time in 2017 but playing time didn’t come immediately.

There were struggles. There were moments of doubt. Through it all, Smith persevered and stuck it out. Playing time might not be there when he wanted it, but it would be on time.