On a fall day in 1989, an exhausted walk-on wide receiver out of Pelham, Alabama, tried to walk off of the University of Alabama practice field after a grueling practice session in which he was punished for missing a scrimmage. His teammates, seeing his anguish, eventually had to carry him off the field, but a young Dabo Swinney has never forgotten the lessons he learned.
Swinney is a stickler for being on time, and he’s known for his work ethic. While much of that is something he was born with, there was one day back in the fall of 1989 that changed not only his outlook but also allowed him to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches.