Dabo Swinney responds to racial slur allegations at Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. — Today Clemson posted a 14-minute video statement from head football coach Dabo Swinney addressing some allegations that were brought up in the past week regarding the use of a racial slur.

The first allegation came from former tight end D.J. Greenlee on Twitter, claiming that assistant coach Danny Pearman called a player the n-word with no repercussions from coach Swinney.

Swinney denied that Pearman was calling a player that racial slur, but instead said he was repeating a phrase from said player that included the n-word in it.

The second allegation came from former player Haamid Williams. He claimed that coach Swinney used the word in reference to the music that was played in the locker room when a prospective new coach was in the facility.

Coach Swinney emphatically denied his usage of the n-word, claiming this event never happened and that the depiction of this incident was “absolutely false.”

Lastly, Swinney responded to criticism he’s drawn this week after a picture was posted in Twitter that featured him wearing a shirt that said “Football Matters.” Some perceived the shirt to be a mockery of the Black Live Matter movement, which coach Swinney denied wholeheartedly.

He says it’s a shirt he’s worn for “a couple years” that was given to him by the National Football Foundation, and had nothing to do with the Black Live Matter movement.

“Any insinuation that I was trying to mock the Black Live Matter movement is just an attack on my character,” Swinney said. “I wholeheartedly support Black Lives Matter… I think black lives significantly and equally matter.”

He also went on to address the backlash on social media that both he and the football program have received amid these allegations.

“This past week has been hurtful to see the pain in my players,” Swinney said. “It’s also hurtful to see our program be attacked.”

Coach Swinney’s full comments can be found here.