The Man Discusses His ACC Legend Status/Defines Clemson Football
by FIGUREFOUR on Dec 4, 2009 8:45 AM EST
in Danny Ford
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I don't understand why Clemson won't give Danny Ford the freaking respect that he deserves, as the ACC has given him the LEGEND status. Read this article for the Q&A by Bob Gillespie (credit www.thestate.com). My favorite portion is:
Q: Clemson hasn't won an ACC championship since 1991. Why has it been so long?
A: In my opinion, a lot of them didn't play Clemson football. I mean, if you say Ohio State to me, I know what Ohio State football is, I know how they play through reputation, what it meant. And I know what Clemson football was about, and I never saw it (in recent seasons).
Clemson football isn't fancy. Clemson football is having a good kicking game, winning with the kicking game, hit(ting) you on defense, don't turn the ball over and be(ing) able to control the ball. Now, they do it different than we did; they control the ball with the pass better than we did; we did it with the run, shorten(ed) the game.
(In recent seasons) it was always trying to be too cute, outcoach you. You don't outcoach people. You might outwork people, might out-hit people, you might out-fundamental people. But if you think you're smart, there's always someone on the other side just as smart, maybe smarter. It ain't what you know, it's how those kids perform. You got to have that philosophy, and I think I've seen it more (this season).
They've gotten back to it a little bit - not enough for me, but I don't coach anymore (laugh). If they win (the ACC), more power to them, congratulations, and don't forget how you got there.
You all know how much respect we have for Coach Ford (see Danny Ford section), and how pissed we still are at Lennon and Robinson and the BOT for the early 1990 debacle--which, BTW, that '90 team probably would have won it all had they left Frod alone, but that is a different story for a different day. I am extremely eager to see Coach Ford get honored this weekend. Clemson ought to have his name and a big Block-C on the side of the stadium. It is a travesty that my university shuns the man who put Clemson football on the map.
Coach Ford is the man who gave us hope, dreams, championships, and my favorite Clemson moment:
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That is Ford's version of Clemson football.
Ford wanted to run the ball, play defense, and kick FGs to win the game. That worked for him, some of the time, back then. That doesn’t mean it would work now, or that that is the only thing that can be called “Clemson football.”
I’d be just fine with winning championships with a 5WR passing attack and never kicking FGs, and I’d bet plenty of other people would too. There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
I think he’s right on the money when he talks about out -working, -hitting, -“fundamentaling.” There have absolutely been times when the team needed to be spending a lot more effort on doing the basic things very well and less time on complexity. The removal of Spence went a long way in that regard (and maybe Koenning too.)
I’d like to see a team with the toughness and fundamentals of Ford’s teams that also has a forward passing attack.
Ring of Honor,Dammit!!
I always love hearing from Coach Ford, and I always got the feeling that he was holding a LOT back during the Bowden years. This is the most forthcoming he’s been with the press in a long time regarding the current state of Clemson football. And you know what? He’s dead-on right! Don’t make it complicated, just knock people on their asses, play fundamental football, play it WELL, and more often than not, you’re gonna win.
This man should be in the Ring of Honor….without him, the only people who’d be able to talk about the “good ol days” of Clemson football would be guys in their 70’s who remember Coach Howard’s good teams in the 40’s and 50’s. Danny Ford deserves every fucking honor we can give him. Ask me, he deserved another shot back in ’98 when he asked for it.
You’re my hero, Coach!
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