Dabo Swinney praises Xavier Thomas for his perseverance, growth

A foot injury sidelined star EDGE Xavier Thomas for the first five games of his senior season at Clemson. Debuting in the 31-3 victory over Boston College last weekend, the former five-star recruit picked up right where he left off, recording two sacks against the Eagles in his season opener.

As the Tigers continue their bid for the College Football Playoff, head coach Dabo Swinney is more than pleased with having one of his defensive anchors back on his defense.

“He’s an amazing story. It’s unbelievable, the maturity that he has now from when I first met him,” Swinney said Monday. “And the fact that he’s here and just what he’s been through, what he’s overcome, where he is just from growth as a human being – I mean, I’m really proud of him.”

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Before last weekend, Thomas had yet to play this season after suffering a foot injury in fall camp. Last season he earned third team All-ACC honors after recording 21 tackles (6.5 for loss), 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. According to Swinney, Thomas has only continued to better himself on the gridiron.

“He really was not a very knowledgeable player when he came here – at all,” Swinney said. “He was just a good athlete that can run fast and was strong and looked the part. He had so much to learn, and he’s really just a more of a complete player. He’s in the best shape of his life, mentally and physically and I’m really proud of him. It’s fun to see him overcome and be where he is right now.”

Thomas will be back on the field Saturday night when Clemson battles a dangerous Florida State team on the road. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET live on ESPN.