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Clemson's Willy Korn Era begins in earnest
Posted October 12, 2008
Just got done filing my story for Monday’s editions on Clemson’s start of the Willy Korn Era.
What a way to come back from a weekend away – and kudos to Scott Adamson for pinch-hitting for me about Friday’s news. I had pre-planned a trip with my better half to Bloomington, Ind., where Iowa, my alma mater, was facing Indiana Saturday. The Hawks won 45-9, breaking a three-game losing streak, and we flew from Indianapolis (where we spent Saturday night) into Charlotte and drove back to Anderson this afternoon.
So I apologize for the brief blog drought, which will not be the case this week with plenty of Clemson-Georgia Tech news.
It was a most unusual Sunday at the Clemson practice fields. Sunday is typically a day off for players under Tommy Bowden, but this was very different – an extra day for Korn to work with the Tigers’ offense, thanks to the weekend off following Thursday’s loss at Wake Forest.
Bowden said it was like a normal Monday practice (the first practice after a game, normally) but most Monday practices don’t have all 3 local TV stations or reporters from Spartanburg (Korn’s hometown) or Associated Press reporter Pete Iacobelli (who is based in Columbia and splits his time between Clemson and USC, getting most of his material from teleconferences and Tuesday press conference days).
Nope, it was a regular media circus – all because of Korn, who is replacing senior, team captain and preseason ACC player of the year Cullen Harper as the Tigers’ starter for Saturday’s home game with Georgia Tech.
Korn has been a fan favorite since his arrival on campus two years ago, with the ovations he receives upon entering games for mop-up duty often louder than any cheers Harper generates.
That’s no knock against Harper, a stand-up guy and team leader who has handled every question about his status with class and candor this season. Harper didn’t talk with reporters tonight, but is expected to Tuesday.
He’s a team captain for a reason, he’s a permanent team captain because he’s one of our leaders, our mature seniors, and I know he’s going to handle it with a lot of class,” Korn said. “I’ve been behind him the whole time and I know he’s going to support me.
“We didn’t discuss (the change), there’s not a whole lot to talk about, but he’s going to handle it with a lot of class, I know he will.”
Bowden said he didn’t open up the usual team meeting for questions about the change, either.
“Do I ask my players questions? No. They might come in my office and shut the door,” he said. “Do I have an open team forum? I’ve never done that.”
A little more on the change, starting with how Korn found out about the move – surfing the Internet with Byrnes teammate, roommate and Clemson fullback Chad Diehl. Harper reportedly heard the news via cell phone Friday.
“I thought there’d be no way (they’d change),” Korn said. “That’s how things have gone since I’ve been here, they stay with the older guy, stay with the senior, don’t make a change. So I was completely surprised when I found out about it.”
On being “The Man”: “It’s an incredible feeling, kind of a weird feeling,” the redshirt freshman said. “It’s been two years since I started a football game. But I’ve been preparing week in and week out, since I got here, like I was going to be the starter.
“It’s kind of different now that I know I’m going to play, going to start, whereas weeks before I was preparing as the starter but in the back of your head you don’t know if you’re going to play or not. So it’s a good feeling, knowing that all my hard work is going to show this week.”
On being a spark to the offense: “I’m just excited about it,” he said. “Coach Bowden said he wanted a spark to the offense, and it gives me a lot of confidence that he has that faith in me to be the guy to spark the offense.
Hopefully we can turn it around his week. I’m really confident going into this weekend.”
Bowden didn’t go into specifics about how Harper handled the change, either:
“We’ve had several (changes)here, when I first got here, Woody Dantzler from Brandon Streeter, Willie Dantzler to Willie Simmons, Willie Simmons to Charlie Whitehurst, all those guys have handled it well.
They don’t like it, not happy about it, but I know those guys handled it well. I assume (Harper will) be the same way.”
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