Clemson offensive line coach Matt Luke Clemson Media Day #2

goes all the way back to you know coach coach or coach hmer or coach you who who whoever you're whoever you're working with you always try to to try to take the best things I will uh Flash Forward to week one um again having been there and seen those guys how that program runs how much of a challenge is that and do you use that as sort of a motivational tactic yeah I mean I think it's it's obviously a youth CH they're really really uh you know they're a great football team I think for us to play them on week one to tell us a lot about where we are at that point I don't think it makes or breaks for season either way I think it tells you a lot about where you are and then I think it also um I think it also helps you stay motivated throughout the summer it helps you know all those things I think uh I think are really really important but just I think it's good for college football I think it's you know it's great for both fan bases close together and uh just I think it'll be a great football game week one and kind of keep off right you're you said something just a minute ago about in the past 14 playoff CH it allam playoff coming this year in the expansion you know I think uh no I think whether it's four teams or 12 teams like you still got to go do your job and be a championship caliber football team and I and I think it you know the it runs through your league if you win your league you're in so I think that's that's where it starts you got to go you got you win your league you're in and I think that's I think that's been the kind of the mantras you need to win your league wherever you are SEC ACC doesn't matter you win your league you're in and I think that's a that's a big thing sure you've answered a lot of questions about them but when you're talking to the few centers that are battling it out what are what are the big things that you're talking to them like here's what you need to do if you want to be the starting center uh I mean they they they already know that that think when when guys are sitting in the room they're all watching tape they know who's getting their job done and who's not like that's what I mean it's all on tape it's not my decision it's it's your decision on how you practice and how you play cuz it's right there on tape and uh and that that's my job as the old line coach is to be honest with those guys and to point it out hey look this is it like the best guy is going to play it's not some big secret or hey I like this guy better I mean whoever performs the best you mentioned him a couple of times already but what has David Cliff meant to you in your career as a person he's he's the guy that got me in coaching that taught me being the coach 's the exactly it's his fault but just he's a tremendous person he's a tremendous mentor and somebody I I've always looked up to when you stand in front of your own team um and you hear certain things coming out of your mouth you know like you okay that's how I was molded that's how I was shaped but he's uh just a tremendous man tremendous coach I learned a lot from people talk about again going back to the chip paint thing the Lin talk about your energy on the field like where did that come from just like your I you know that's just who that's just who I am and that's what uh that that's what I enjoy doing and uh so you know it's easy to have passion when you love love what you're doing and uh that that that part being out on the field at practice with the guys that's that's where you really get better and that's um that practice field and all like you practice this game way more than you play and uh to try to take advantage of each and every day out there with those guys and push those guys to be better you want you want the games to be easier the practice and so to to be out there to try to provide that energy and that spark I think is really important I think guys man you know Colin uh I recruited him a little bit out of high school and but his athleticism I said this earlier like he's probably the best athlete of all the guys up there and uh just his ability to play on the edge but also have the uh the toughness and the size to also play inside I think it just gives you a lot of flexibility cuz like you know you know offensive line football is a game that injuries are going to occur so to have a guy that can play multiple positions really helps you I think the guys were also talking about after the PO game like you were actually crying you know with your wife like you were very emotional after the game why was that such an emotional yeah I mean shoot anytime you're out you and you come back I mean that that was a big decision and uh it was a family decision um so but I I'm an emotional person you probably figure that out by now like that's my that's my biggest strength but maybe my biggest weakness sometimes I'm very I'm an emotional person and uh I wear my feelings on my sleeve and that's that's who I am so but I also think that uh the players respond to that and they and I think people like it when you're genuine and you are who you are you don't try to hide things or be fake you just you just are who you are and that's uh that's what I've always tried to be what have your takeaways been on Elijah Thurman so far a athleticism he's really done a good job of changing his body he's probably gone from 3 that 295 300 to maybe 310 35ish like kind of fluctuating between there so he's done a good job changing his body so I like where he's headed just going back to the Bowl game like what was that like that your first game back how back and forth that game was the contract yeah I uh yeah I mean I I like that we won that was just a different experience but I think the uh what you uh what you gained from being in a situation like that in the trenches with your guys I think it really was a benefit going into the spr uh you know it wasn't always pretty it didn't look the way you wanted to look all the time but I think the benefit of being out there with the guys really paid dividends going into the spring so all the changes we've seen on the recruiting Trail how easy was it for you to slide back in there after being away for here yeah I you know there's a lot of things going on in recruiting but still