Wake Forest Athletics
Photo by: Sara D. Davis, the ACC
Deacs Take on ACC Kickoff in Charlotte
7/17/2019 9:17:00 PM | Football
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – What was your favorite Halloween candy?
Which former Deacon great would you have liked to have played with or coached?
What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?
What did you dress up as for Halloween?
Those were just a few of the multitude of questions that Wake Forest head football coach Dave Clawson, senior linebacker Justin Strnad and senior running back Cade Carney faced during the Atlantic Division's day on Wednesday at the 2019 ACC Football Kickoff. More than 450 media members gathered at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte to discuss the seven Atlantic Division teams.
Each ACC Atlantic team was represented by an offensive player, a defensive player and the head coach. Each group met with the many different media outlets that cover the ACC including ACC Network, CBS, Fox Sports, Raycom, ESPN Gameday, the ACC Digital Network and Sirius/XM radio. Among the many luminaries in attendance were Wake Forest Learfield IMG College radio team members Dave Goren and Lary Sorensen, Wake Forest beat writers Conor O'Neill of the Winston-Salem Journal and Les Johns of Demon Deacon Digest, Wes Durham and Mark Packer who cover the ACC on Sirius/XM, and numerous new ACC Network announcers, analysts and sideline reporters. There were also bowl game directors from the ACC's newly announced line-up of 10 guaranteed bowl slots for the 2020-2025 seasons.
Each team's representatives spent time in a news conference answering the fairly routine questions asked of every team. How do they feel about the upcoming 2019 season? Who will start at quarterback? Is your starting line-up set? Will the Deacons make a fourth straight bowl?
With print and digital representatives from every corner of the ACC asking questions, Clawson had the right answers for everything that was thrown his way.
On having Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium (November 9) back on the schedule this year: "It's a great environment and (head coach) Justin (Fuente) has done a great job there. Having coached in Virginia for four years at Richmond, they're a good program. It will be a great game."
On playing North Carolina as a non-conference opponent (Sept. 13): "North Carolina-Wake Forest is the oldest rivalry in North Carolina. In the history of our program, we have such a rich history with the Big Four, with North Carolina, Duke and N.C. State. But with conference expansion and divisions, we're in a situation where we play North Carolina once every six years and host them once every 12 years. Our kids want to play North Carolina. Our fan base wants to see us play North Carolina. So we did this because it is an important game to our players, to our fans, and our program. We're not going to do it every year but if we can schedule that game every so often, more frequently than once every six years, then I think it's worth doing."
On the quarterback decision-making process: "It's just an evaluation, much like you decide who your left guard is or who your starting linebacker is. It's playing consistently, taking care of the football, making good decisions. At the end of the day, it comes down to a little bit of a gut feeling of who has the best chance of helping us win games. I feel very good about (Sam Hartman and Jamie Newman). This is a good problem. A year ago it was a bad problem, five years ago it was a bad problem. This is a good problem."
On the enhanced marketing efforts geared to fill BB&T Field for Wake Forest's Opening Night game with Utah State on August 30: "It's been positive. I think (the players) are really glad that they're getting this kind of support and backing, that there is such an effort to fill the stadium. We've filled it occasionally but sometimes I think we filled it based on who we were playing. And now we want to start filling it based on who we are. And I think this is a step towards doing that."
Clawson agreed that Demon Deacon football has momentum: "I was told the other day, the last five years, our season ticket sales are up 20 percent. It's getting better but until it's sold out every game, standing room only, we're not going to be happy. That's our goal."
And while many of the reporters filled their notebooks with quotes on the coming season, the television networks were more concerned with filming content that they can use throughout the season. Those montages of coaches that appear on the pregame shows, talking about specific subjects, are all taped during each conference's summer media days.
Hence, the unusual array of questions.
The networks asked every participant to give a shout out to Armed Forces members that will be compiled and used during games played the weekend before Veterans Day on November 11.
Strnad was asked which Wake Forest great he wished he could have played with.
"Aaron Curry," said Strnad without hesitation of Wake Forest's Butkus Award-winning linebacker. "What he did for our program and how well he did it and how he performed at such a high level, I would love to learn from him."
Clawson was asked which Deacon great he wished he could have coached. Clawson said that he had tremendous respect for Brian Piccolo, not only for his ability as a player, but the legacy he left in his fight against cancer and the role he filled in helping in the integration of college football in the early 1960s.
As for his favorite childhood memory, Carney reflected on his days as a youth, watching the Deacs play football from Deacon Hill, rocking the tie-dye, and dreaming of one day being on the other side of the wall. A dream that Carney has lived out for the last three years.
As for the more esoteric questions, some of which will be used for October 26 games just prior to Halloweeen, Wake Forest's trio had a chance to relive childhood memories.
For Strnad, his go-to Halloween costume was Michael Meyers from the Halloween slasher films. For Clawson, it was dressing up as a mountain man complete with fake facial hair. Carney played the standard grown-up athlete, dressing up as a football player or as a member of the Atlanta Braves. But he quickly grew out of the drudgery of going door-to-door to fill his pillow case.
"I got to the point where I would drive my little brother around the neighborhood and in return for providing the transportation, he gave me half of his candy," said Carney.
When it comes down to Thanksgiving food, Carney and Strnad both sided with their family's traditional stuffing recipes. But Clawson has a specific tradition.
"You can't just have turkey, stuffing and gravy," said Clawson who enters his sixth year at Wake Forest and his 20th year as a head coach this fall. "You can't eat them separately. You have to mix them all together. And you can never have too much gravy."
As for the Halloween candy, both players chose Reese's Peanut Butter Cups as their go-to treat.
But Clawson chose his longtime favorite treat: Mallo Cups.
"When you can combine chocolate and marshmallow, what better combination is there in a candy?" said Clawson.
Which former Deacon great would you have liked to have played with or coached?
What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?
What did you dress up as for Halloween?
Those were just a few of the multitude of questions that Wake Forest head football coach Dave Clawson, senior linebacker Justin Strnad and senior running back Cade Carney faced during the Atlantic Division's day on Wednesday at the 2019 ACC Football Kickoff. More than 450 media members gathered at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte to discuss the seven Atlantic Division teams.
Each ACC Atlantic team was represented by an offensive player, a defensive player and the head coach. Each group met with the many different media outlets that cover the ACC including ACC Network, CBS, Fox Sports, Raycom, ESPN Gameday, the ACC Digital Network and Sirius/XM radio. Among the many luminaries in attendance were Wake Forest Learfield IMG College radio team members Dave Goren and Lary Sorensen, Wake Forest beat writers Conor O'Neill of the Winston-Salem Journal and Les Johns of Demon Deacon Digest, Wes Durham and Mark Packer who cover the ACC on Sirius/XM, and numerous new ACC Network announcers, analysts and sideline reporters. There were also bowl game directors from the ACC's newly announced line-up of 10 guaranteed bowl slots for the 2020-2025 seasons.
Each team's representatives spent time in a news conference answering the fairly routine questions asked of every team. How do they feel about the upcoming 2019 season? Who will start at quarterback? Is your starting line-up set? Will the Deacons make a fourth straight bowl?
With print and digital representatives from every corner of the ACC asking questions, Clawson had the right answers for everything that was thrown his way.
On having Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium (November 9) back on the schedule this year: "It's a great environment and (head coach) Justin (Fuente) has done a great job there. Having coached in Virginia for four years at Richmond, they're a good program. It will be a great game."
On playing North Carolina as a non-conference opponent (Sept. 13): "North Carolina-Wake Forest is the oldest rivalry in North Carolina. In the history of our program, we have such a rich history with the Big Four, with North Carolina, Duke and N.C. State. But with conference expansion and divisions, we're in a situation where we play North Carolina once every six years and host them once every 12 years. Our kids want to play North Carolina. Our fan base wants to see us play North Carolina. So we did this because it is an important game to our players, to our fans, and our program. We're not going to do it every year but if we can schedule that game every so often, more frequently than once every six years, then I think it's worth doing."
On the quarterback decision-making process: "It's just an evaluation, much like you decide who your left guard is or who your starting linebacker is. It's playing consistently, taking care of the football, making good decisions. At the end of the day, it comes down to a little bit of a gut feeling of who has the best chance of helping us win games. I feel very good about (Sam Hartman and Jamie Newman). This is a good problem. A year ago it was a bad problem, five years ago it was a bad problem. This is a good problem."
On the enhanced marketing efforts geared to fill BB&T Field for Wake Forest's Opening Night game with Utah State on August 30: "It's been positive. I think (the players) are really glad that they're getting this kind of support and backing, that there is such an effort to fill the stadium. We've filled it occasionally but sometimes I think we filled it based on who we were playing. And now we want to start filling it based on who we are. And I think this is a step towards doing that."
Clawson agreed that Demon Deacon football has momentum: "I was told the other day, the last five years, our season ticket sales are up 20 percent. It's getting better but until it's sold out every game, standing room only, we're not going to be happy. That's our goal."
And while many of the reporters filled their notebooks with quotes on the coming season, the television networks were more concerned with filming content that they can use throughout the season. Those montages of coaches that appear on the pregame shows, talking about specific subjects, are all taped during each conference's summer media days.
Hence, the unusual array of questions.
The networks asked every participant to give a shout out to Armed Forces members that will be compiled and used during games played the weekend before Veterans Day on November 11.
Strnad was asked which Wake Forest great he wished he could have played with.
"Aaron Curry," said Strnad without hesitation of Wake Forest's Butkus Award-winning linebacker. "What he did for our program and how well he did it and how he performed at such a high level, I would love to learn from him."
Clawson was asked which Deacon great he wished he could have coached. Clawson said that he had tremendous respect for Brian Piccolo, not only for his ability as a player, but the legacy he left in his fight against cancer and the role he filled in helping in the integration of college football in the early 1960s.
As for his favorite childhood memory, Carney reflected on his days as a youth, watching the Deacs play football from Deacon Hill, rocking the tie-dye, and dreaming of one day being on the other side of the wall. A dream that Carney has lived out for the last three years.
As for the more esoteric questions, some of which will be used for October 26 games just prior to Halloweeen, Wake Forest's trio had a chance to relive childhood memories.
For Strnad, his go-to Halloween costume was Michael Meyers from the Halloween slasher films. For Clawson, it was dressing up as a mountain man complete with fake facial hair. Carney played the standard grown-up athlete, dressing up as a football player or as a member of the Atlanta Braves. But he quickly grew out of the drudgery of going door-to-door to fill his pillow case.
"I got to the point where I would drive my little brother around the neighborhood and in return for providing the transportation, he gave me half of his candy," said Carney.
When it comes down to Thanksgiving food, Carney and Strnad both sided with their family's traditional stuffing recipes. But Clawson has a specific tradition.
"You can't just have turkey, stuffing and gravy," said Clawson who enters his sixth year at Wake Forest and his 20th year as a head coach this fall. "You can't eat them separately. You have to mix them all together. And you can never have too much gravy."
As for the Halloween candy, both players chose Reese's Peanut Butter Cups as their go-to treat.
But Clawson chose his longtime favorite treat: Mallo Cups.
"When you can combine chocolate and marshmallow, what better combination is there in a candy?" said Clawson.
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