Not many people know more about Clemson’s Dabo Swinney than Keven Sherrer. At least the young Dabo Swinney, that is.
Sherrer was actually coached by Swinney when the two of them were at Alabama. Sherrer was a walk-on tight end for the Crimson Tide shortly after Swinney completed his playing career there and was first getting into coaching as a graduate assistant under coach Gene Stallings.
“He was running the scout team I was with him,” said Sherrer, who came to UGA from South Alabama, where he was defensive coordinator last season. “He did a good job and I enjoyed him.”
That was the first of two stints Sherrer and Swinney would do together at Alabama. Later they were both on the staff of Alabama coach Mike Dubose, Sherrer as a G.A. and Swinney as wide receivers coach.
“He kind of dabbled with the tight ends and I was helping with the tight ends so we were kind of back and forth,” said Sherrer, who coaches outside linebackers and nickelbacks for the Bulldogs. “So I’ve got a long history with him.”
They also spent time together when Sherrer was coaching in high school in Alabama at Hoover and Spain Park.
“He recruited that area, so I saw him pretty regular,” Sherrer said. “When he got the head coaching job, you know how head coaches are, they don’t come around as much.”
Sherrer laughed when asked how all that intimate knowledge of Swinney could manifest itself into a strategic advantage for the Bulldogs.
“I don’t talk to him as much as I used to,” he said. “He was a player for and I was a player for Coach Stallings, so you can probably find some similarities there. I don’t know if it gives us a whole lot of insight because we’re kind of far removed now.”
