Wake Forest Athletics
Season Start a Reward For Sacrifice Made
8/31/2020 12:31:00 PM | Football, Les Johns
“We are just obsessing over every detail to make this the safest environment possible for our student-athletes.” - Dave Clawson
The Wake Forest Football season is set to kickoff less than two weeks from now, as the No. 1 ranked Clemson Tigers head to Winston-Salem to face the Deacs at Truist Field.
It's been a remarkable journey of determination and sacrifice just to get to this point.
"I think there will be great relief when we finally play a game that all this work and effort wasn't for nothing," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. "It's been a hard seven weeks and we've asked our players to make sacrifices that in the sport of college football has never been asked before. So far, we're managing all these things well. Our players deserve the reward of a game if they continue this discipline.
"When we take the field against Clemson, we're going to be excited and it's going to be a great feeling of accomplishment that we were able to do this. Then, the challenge will be if we're able to continue to do it."
The Demon Deacons have been to a program-record four-straight postseason bowl games. Getting to a fifth in 2020 will be quite a challenge — squaring off against a schedule that features 10 ACC opponents while also navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
"At no point is this virus going to be defeated this season," Clawson said. "Every week we have a weekly opponent as well as another strong opponent that is undefeated right now. I always want to win football games and we're always going to be competitive. This is a year where I consider keeping our players safe and healthy, and keeping them continually educated on COVID to keep them as healthy as we can — that's probably more important than winning football games."
The football team was exiled from campus in mid-March, just five practices into the 15 allowed in spring camp. They then spent the entire summer apart, in vastly different training environments before returning to Winston-Salem in stages in late July.
Since returning, they've been regularly tested for COVID-19 and adhere to strict social distancing guidelines while on the field and in class.
"All these young men are someone's son," Clawson said. "We are just obsessing over every detail to make this the safest environment possible for our student-athletes. I don't want to let down our guard or get reckless. If it's not safe for a player to play, he's not going to play. If we lose a game because of keeping a player safe from COVID, that's a tradeoff I'm willing to make and I know Wake Forest Athletics is willing to make. This is not going to be a normal year.
"They should interact with everybody assuming that everybody has COVID. Then you can go to bed at night not worrying if you have it. Everybody has a personal responsibility in this. If they want to play football this season, then they're going to do the right things. If they don't, then we're all going to pay for it. We're not in a bubble. These aren't professional athletes. They're going to class today. I go around our office assuming everybody has it, and if I take precautions I'm protecting myself and others."
While the 10+1 scheduling model became complete again for the Deacs with the non-conference addition of Campell last week, Clawson understands that even under the best circumstances there are liable to be disruptions and changes as they navigate the season.
"I'm sure it won't be the only game postponed or rescheduled," Clawson said about the rescheduling of NC State's game against Virginia Tech. "If we can play games this year, it's going to be a success. Now obviously when we play them we want to win them and play well. I feel for Dave (Doeren) and his staff. I'm sure they've done a lot and worked hard, and now it's another week before they get to play. And now they can't practice. Everybody will have their challenges. We could go through that."
Wake Forest began last season 7-1 and nationally ranked before being deluged with an avalanche of injuries to key players. The Deacs finished 8-5 and returned a ton of experience on defense.
"I'm very optimistic," Clawson said about the 2020 season. "We're very experienced on defense, especially in the front seven. We're going to have to count on those guys to play at a high level as the secondary grows up. We're inexperienced on the offensive perimeter, but we have good talent. Players make plays. I'm confident those guys will get there, and the sooner the better. It's certainly going to be a baptism by fire."
Gone from last year's prolific offense is every starting receiver, tight end and running back, in addition to a trio of redshirt senior offensive linemen. The Deacs figure to be young but skilled on offense.
"The first start Donavon Greene and Atorian Perry ever made was against Clemson, because we were down Sage Surratt and Scotty Washington," Clawson said. "They learned the hard way how difficult it is to play against a team like Clemson. I'd loved to have had Sage and Scotty for that game a year ago, but now maybe there's a benefit for Donavon and Atorian playing in that one.
"They saw the film and how much they weren't ready. Now how much better have they gotten?"
