On the most important day of his professional life, Clemson’s receivers coach wore sweatpants and a sweatshirt. In the 7 a.m. staff meeting that didn’t seem any different than any other 7 a.m. staff meeting before it, he gave the daily devotional because it was his turn. “There was not one thing that seemed out of order or odd,” he says now.
The date was Oct. 13, 2008. It was a Monday. The previous Thursday, the Clemson team that was supposed to win the Tigers’ first ACC title since 1991 had lost 12–7 at Wake Forest to fall to 3–3 on the season.