Former Clemson star receiver DeAndre Hopkins rushed to the defense of his former coach, Dabo Swinney, amid allegations of racism.
On Wednesday, Hopkins tweeted a message of support toward Swinney
Seemingly out of the blue, Hopkins shared the following message, defending the Clemson coach:
“One thing I do know Coach Swinney has never been a racist or had any ill will towards any player,” Hopkins tweeted. “Best coach I’ve ever been around from a football perspective and personal perspective. He helped me become a man and grow from being a kid from Central South Carolina.”
Clemson assistant accused of using racial slurs
Over the weekend, Kanyon Tuttle accused Clemson assistant coach Pearman of using racial slurs during a 2017 practice: “You allowed a coach to call a player the n-word during practice with no repercussions,” he wrote. … “I will never understand why it was never addressed.”
That player was tight end D.J. Greenlee, who has since clarified how the slur was used.
“It was just a heated argument during practice, basically,” Greenlee told The State. “He heard me use the n-word basically, and basically tried to correct me by saying the n-word back. He wasn’t saying that I was a n-word.”
Pearman ultimately apologized for the incident.
Dabo Swinney issued a long statement denying allegations of racism
In response to the incident with Pearman, along with other players bringing up other allegations of racist slurs being uttered, Swinney issued a lengthy, 14-minute video statement. In it, he decried racism, racial injustice and police brutality. He also denied having ever used a racial slur at practice and threw his support behind the Black Lives Matter movement.
Hopkins has been outspoken against racism. This includes serious pressure he has put on Clemson itself over the continued use of John C. Calhoun, a slave owner, at the school’s honors college.
With this in mind, his comment about Swinney carries significant weight.