Clemson Coach Takes Playful Jab at Bama
Associated Press
2008-08-26 19:27:40.0
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CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) - Clemson's affable defensive coordinator has
apologized for saying that two of Alabama's most highly regarded
football recruits each drove off from high school events in a
Cadillac Escalade.
"I guess I made a mistake in cutting a joke," Koenning said.
The ninth-ranked Tigers open the season Saturday against No. 24
Alabama in Atlanta. In a week where antiseptic comments of mutual
respect are the norm, Koenning most likely gave the underdog Tide
something to rally around.
Koenning has led the Tigers defense the past three seasons. He's
rarely shy with his opinions and gained a reputation as one of the
staff's straightest and most humorous shooters.
That style got Koenning in trouble Monday night after practice,
when he talked about Alabama freshman receiver Julio Jones and B.J.
Scott.
"Julio? You know what, I actually ran into Julio in the spring
recruiting," Koenning said according to an account published in
The (Columbia) State and a review of a tape recording of the
interview. "I said hello to him and said, I guess I'll be seeing
you at the end of August. Then he got out and got in his Escalade
and drove off. That's serious.
"And then I went over and watched (Alabama freshman) Burton
Scott at Vigor High School at the track over there," Koenning
continued, "and Burton Scott was running around. He went and got
in his Escalade out at track practice and drove off. So I'm
familiar with those two guys."
Koenning says he sought out the reporters involved to emphasize
he was kidding.
Jones and Scott are two of several young Alabama players who
figure to see action against Clemson.
Alabama football spokesman Jeff Purinton did not know if head
coach Nick Saban would have any response to Koenning's remarks.
Purinton also didn't know if anyone in the school's athletic
dpeartment had called counterparts at Clemson to complain.
Koenning says he had a text-message conversation with Alabama
assistant Burton Burns, who had worked at Clemson from 1999 to
2006, to make sure he understood Koenning was not serious.
Koenning also got a call from one of the Alabama players' high
school coaches.
"He couldn't figure out why I would say something like that,"
Koenning said. "I said, 'Well, I was joking around at the end of
practice yesterday and it just got taken the wrong way.' So it was
my mistake for even joking around in that environment."
Clemson coach Tommy Bowden says Koenning's remarks don't reflect
he and his staff's high regard for Alabama and it's above-board
recruiting tactics.
"A guy makes an off-the-cuff comment, and I know we're really
looking for things to write about and talk about on the Internet
and on talk shows," Bowden said. "If we would've had some bad
blood in the past, but here's a school that we've had zero bad
blood."
Bowden hasn't spoken to Koenning about it. "We didn't even
recruit him, Julio Jones," Clemson's head coach said. "That shows
you how insignificant I think the statement is."
Koenning said he's never had a problem with Alabama's recruiting
practices and doesn't know what vehicles, if any, Jones or Scott
drive.
Now, the situation is "100 percent a distraction," said
Koenning as he develops a game plan for Clemson's opener.
"That's not me to cast stones or to have ill feelings toward
that," he said. "It was my misjudgement in saying something in a
joking manner that got taken and run with."
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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