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'I Don't Grow Weary, I Grow Stronger': Clemson Coach Quotes Bible After Loss to Notre Dame

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Clemson Tigers football Coach Dabo Swinney is not a man who is shy about his faith.

The Tigers’ head coach made a point of pulling from God’s Word to share with the world that he and the team are going to keep their focus in the right place in spite of the heart-wrenching loss they experienced after going up against Notre Dame.

The 35-14 loss to unranked Notre Dame would potentially be enough to discourage even the best of players on the team, according to ESPN.

Nevertheless, at a press conference, Swinney addressed the assembled reporters with bold faith and a humble heart, according to Faith Wire.

“We missed an opportunity, but we have another opportunity this week. And that’s the good news for us.

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“Also, we’re a better team certainly than what we played the other night. We’re 8 and 1, not 5 and 3. And every goal we have is intact,” said Swinney.

Previous accolades for the 52-year-old Tigers head coach include winning the College Football Playoff in 2016 and 2018. Unfortunately, the team’s loss to Notre Dame is its worst loss since Swinney came to Clemson in 2009.

He admitted that the day of the loss was, “a really bad day,” and insisted that he was deserving and worthy of the blame for the upset.

“This is one of the most disappointing days that I’ve had as a head coach,” he told ESPN.

Nevertheless, it was clear that he did not intend to wallow in this loss, nor let the team dwell on it either.

“I don’t grow weary, you know, I grow stronger. The Bible says that. Galatians 6:9 says, ‘Do not grow weary from doing what is right and good for, at the appropriate time, you will reap a harvest of blessing if you don’t give up,” Swinney said at the press conference.

He went on to articulate that the verse has been a life verse for him not only as a coach, but also throughout his Christian walk.

“I don’t grow weary,” he said. “I grow stronger. I’m excited about having a good Tuesday practice today and ain’t nothing gonna steal my joy.”

He added that he intended to do everything he could to help his team hang on to their joy.

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“And if people can’t get on board with that, then they’re missing a lot of opportunity.

“If you’re only going to be happy if we win the national championship, then you’re gonna spend a lot of years down in the dumps in the gutter. They went 35 years without winning one here. You’re missing out on a lot of fun, that’s all I can tell you.”

When asked if he believed the Tigers still had a shot at qualifying for the College Football Playoff, he was quite emphatic with optimism.

“Absolutely! Heck, we lost a game in 2016 and ended up winning the national championship, ” Swinney told The Clemson Insider.

Swinney is big on the importance of perspective and remaining focused on goals in connection to a team being a winning team.

“You have to have the right perspective as you go back to work. Because if you don’t, then those bad moments define you. You can’t let it do that.”

He said he believes that perspective will help a team to develop into what they’re capable of, both as a team and as individual players, and goals will allow a team and its individuals to compete at their highest level possible.

He believes if perspective and goals are done to the best of the team’s ability and each individual’s ability, then they can hold their heads high no matter what the final outcome.

“You’ve got to let it develop into what you’re capable of being as a team and as an individual player. That’s what good teams do.”

He went on to note that negativity can paralyze a person, whether on or off the field, and that a person’s joy can’t be “defined by what happens on a scoreboard … that’s not healthy for anyone.”

Swinney said that for him personally, “My joy is just in doing what I do.”

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