Note: The following appears in the App State football gameday program.
According to Head Coach Dabo Swinney, the greatest success stories come with time, similarly to a meal cooked in a crockpot. The meal will not be ready in seconds, or even minutes, like food placed in the microwave will be, but rather, it takes hours for the food inside to fully absorb all of the flavors and transform into the final product.
Clemson punter Aidan Swanson is a testament to this “Swinneyism.” He has absorbed all of the “flavors” of Tiger football, taking advantage of every resource, and after three years of being in the program, he was ready to deliver.
Swanson, in his sixth and final season, is third in school history in career punting average (42.5) on 138 punts. He also holds the school record for consecutive games averaging 40+ yards (17), ahead of Dale Hatcher’s previous record of 12 in the 1980s, a record Swanson set in the 2023 season.
“It feels like I’m in my third year,” admitted #39 on how fast the time has flown by and how surreal it feels to enter his final season in Tigertown.
“Time really does go by so fast. It hasn’t hit me yet, but I’m sure once we get rolling, it’ll hit me.”
A Tampa, Fla. native, Swanson grew up in a house divided. His father graduated from Florida, and his mother graduated from Clemson. When asked about his decision to enroll in the Upstate, he said he always wanted to go to both, but was leaning more towards Florida as a child because of witnessing the Tim Tebow glory days.
But as he grew older and witnessed the program’s success, Clemson became the clear choice for Swanson. Watching the star power of players like Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson sold him on how great it would be to wear a Tiger uniform.
“There are so many resources and aspects at Clemson, including P.A.W. Journey, the people that are on staff and the people who make Clemson what it is. The small college town feel is a real thing, and it’s unique. There’s no place like it.”
Swanson is a P.A.W. Journey ambassador, and he praised the ways the program develops players holistically for successful lives outside of football. He has completed two spring internships with Synnex, both of which P.A.W. Journey helped him acquire.
“From microinternships to meeting people, making connections and community service, P.A.W. Journey really makes you a man and prepares you for what life is like after your football days are over.”
Swanson also spoke on…