Tim explained to all the parents how he and Tami had devised the final act.
“Tami was impressed that you didn’t tell her. She said that if it ever happens again, you have my permission to rat me out,” Tim said.
“Me too,” Wolf said to let me off the hook.
“Thank God! I love you guys, but never put me in the middle like that again,” I vented. “The recruiting trip promise is now officially dead.”
“We understand,” Wolf said, and Tim nodded.
“We make no such promises,” the girls said, then laughed when Brook gave them a death stare.
“I’m afraid that’s a ‘no,’” I said and received a kiss for my pronouncement.
I was happy to see hotel shuttle buses pull up.
“That’s our ride,” Fritz announced.
I picked up Brook, threw her over my shoulder, and hurried to the bus before anything else happened.
◊◊◊
We walked into Coach Swank’s house, and the first thing we saw was a giant stuffed tiger.
“David had two live tigers,” Wolf announced.
Coach Swank had three young boys who wanted to know all about my tigers. I showed them pictures and then gave them the link to the Busch Gardens live broadcast of the girls sleeping. They had grown like crazy since I’d seen them in Mexico. I’d watched them learn to stalk each other. Precious would be unspeakably smug if she possessed anything near their skills. She would be able to take Duke down with no trouble.
Mrs. Swank was a champ. She cooked us all breakfast casseroles. She made one that she called a one-dish blackberry French toast, and then another that was to-die-for praline-pecan French toast. Of course, there were the traditional ones made with eggs, but I would have to get her recipes for the two masterpieces of breakfast deliciousness. It took some begging, but she finally relented and shared how she made them.
My parents enjoyed the visit to Coach Swank’s home. Mom said it showed that he cared about family. The shuttle buses returned and took us to the football facilities where we met with the training staff. We explained what we were doing at Lincoln High, and they didn’t have much new to offer. They seemed impressed with what we were doing while still in high school.
I waited while Tim was called in to talk to Coach Sarafian, who was in charge of linebackers. Next, Wolf was taken to speak with Coach Dicks, their offensive coordinator and receivers coach. I was the last one to be called. My contingent was escorted to Coach Swank’s office, where we were introduced to Coach Brady, the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator.
“Welcome. I want to thank you and your family for giving us a chance to show you what Clemson University has to offer, both athletically and, more importantly, academically,” Coach Swank said.
“From everything we’ve seen, we’re impressed,” my mom shared.
That brought a smile to both coaches. If you could win the mom’s heart, you’d gone a long way to winning the recruiting battle.
“I hope to fill in some of the gaps you might have so that when you leave for home, you’re comfortable making an informed decision. When you’ve weighed all your options, I think that Clemson might be the best place for you. I want to be clear about something, though. If you’re not looking for structure or discipline, then Clemson is not the right place for you. If you don’t want to go to class to get an education, Clemson is not the right place for you. Or if you’re going to be a young man who’ll cause problems, then Clemson is not the right place for you,” Coach Swank said.
It was clear that rules were important here, and that Clemson had certain expectations of its players. I was glad that they felt strongly about those things. I didn’t foresee any issues with it and knew my parents were happy that I wasn’t going to be allowed to run wild.
“Currently, it’s not personal,” Coach Swank continued. “When you get here, it will be personal. We care about our players as a team and about each of you individually as young men who are entrusted to our care. On my part, I don’t claim to be perfect, and I’m sure that I’ll make mistakes, but that’s part of the growth process. I feel it’s my responsibility to share with you my knowledge to help you grow into the best possible version of yourself. We at Clemson want you to become a good young man.
“When you talk to our young men’s parents, they’ll tell you how happy they are with all the hard work their sons have put in. They’ll say how it has paid off, not only on the football field but by them becoming responsible young men with bright futures.
“When I look at you, I see the poster child for what we’re trying to accomplish at Clemson. You have athletic skills that should translate well to the college game. You’re also a leader who’s charismatic. Combine that with your intelligence, and I can see great things happening for you. I also see a young man who’s ready for a challenge. Am I correct in that assumption?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” I replied.
