Consistency and Trust Keys to Success for Claiborne
8/11/2023 11:45:00 AM | Football
“I need to come out every day and be the same guy.” - Demond Claiborne
After leading King William High School to a Virginia state high school championship and earning multiple player of the year awards, highly-touted running back Demond Claibourne entered Wake Forest last season with heavy expectations for himself.
But the college game tends to sometimes offer a severe learning curve. While Claiborne could often rely on his superior athleticism and ball skills to deliver game-breaking plays for King William, the workload for Wake Forest running backs also includes a healthy dose of pass blocking.
So while serving as a key member of special teams coverage units, Claiborne finished last season with just 14 carries for 57 yards.
"My freshman year was a reality check," Claiborne said. "I came in and thought it was going to be smooth, but it didn't happen that way. (Special teams) Coach (Wayne) Lineburg gave me opportunities on special teams, so I'm appreciative of him for giving me a chance to broadcast my talent. That helped me this year gain that competitive edge going into this year and helped me build my confidence to be a better athlete.
"Pass blocking is a big thing I'm wanting to improve upon. Spring went well for me. It's just about staying consistent and finding ways to be a better athlete and a better teammate."
The Deacs return just one of the top four rushing leaders from last season, redshirt junior running back Justice Ellison, giving Claiborne ample opportunity to showcase his ability.
"I just want to continue to trust in the coaching staff and my teammates around me, like Justice Ellison and Tate Carney," Claiborne said. "Those guys have helped me gain a better mental edge and become a better person. Surrounding myself around the right guys has helped me move forward in the spring."
Ellison in particular has shown himself to be a leader in the running back room the last two seasons.
"He's great," Claiborne said. "We spend a lot of time together and do a lot of things together, whether going out to eat, playing games or listening to music. He's a great guy to be around and is high energy. We're accountability partners. I look forward to being around him every day I wake up."
Claiborne believes consistency is the key for him as fall camp approaches.
"I know I have some big shoes to fill, so I just need to trust the coaching staff. I can see myself day-by-day getting closer to the goals I've set for myself," he said. "I need to come out every day and be the same guy. That can help me better get a chance to play. I know the coaches are going to put me in the right situation to succeed. Focusing on the details will help me in the long run.
"Every now and then I make a mistake, but who doesn't?"
Working with strength and conditioning coach Chad Bari in the weight room is helping Claiborne become more physically gifted in the pass protection part of his game.
"The extra weight is giving me more confidence to put my body in there," he said. "Pass protection was something completely new to me here at Wake Forest. It's not something I had to do in high school. Adding that tool to my game, knowing I have to protect Mitch (Griffis) back there, is something I look forward to. Somedays are harder than others, but I just have to trust my technique."
After fighting against running back coach John Hunter a bit when he first arrived, Claiborne has learned to trust his position coach.
"D, you're fighting me," Hunter used to tell him often during practices last year.
"In the fall I was fighting coach Hunter, and not listening to what he was saying," he said. "Once I started trusting him, knowing that I have to do exactly what he said. He's going to lead me in the right direction. Doing that has helped me a lot in the spring.
"Me and coach Hunt talk daily, and I love him. I'm happy to be around him. He's my coach and he's helped me a lot so far. I want to continue to grow with him."
Hunter is thrilled at the progress Claiborne is showing, and believes he has a big season ahead of him if he continues to show consistency.
"He's a very talented kid who is improving rapidly," Hunter said. "It's not coming as fast as he wants it to, but he's improved by leaps and bounds compared to when he first got here. He's just grinding every day and getting better.
"Most freshmen deal with pass protection, not just executing the block, but knowing who to block. You have to understand the protections. The progress he's made to this point is astronomical. He's getting better everyday. He's really starting to block people, but a lot of freshmen struggle with that initially."
But the college game tends to sometimes offer a severe learning curve. While Claiborne could often rely on his superior athleticism and ball skills to deliver game-breaking plays for King William, the workload for Wake Forest running backs also includes a healthy dose of pass blocking.
So while serving as a key member of special teams coverage units, Claiborne finished last season with just 14 carries for 57 yards.
"My freshman year was a reality check," Claiborne said. "I came in and thought it was going to be smooth, but it didn't happen that way. (Special teams) Coach (Wayne) Lineburg gave me opportunities on special teams, so I'm appreciative of him for giving me a chance to broadcast my talent. That helped me this year gain that competitive edge going into this year and helped me build my confidence to be a better athlete.
"Pass blocking is a big thing I'm wanting to improve upon. Spring went well for me. It's just about staying consistent and finding ways to be a better athlete and a better teammate."
The Deacs return just one of the top four rushing leaders from last season, redshirt junior running back Justice Ellison, giving Claiborne ample opportunity to showcase his ability.
"I just want to continue to trust in the coaching staff and my teammates around me, like Justice Ellison and Tate Carney," Claiborne said. "Those guys have helped me gain a better mental edge and become a better person. Surrounding myself around the right guys has helped me move forward in the spring."
Ellison in particular has shown himself to be a leader in the running back room the last two seasons.
"He's great," Claiborne said. "We spend a lot of time together and do a lot of things together, whether going out to eat, playing games or listening to music. He's a great guy to be around and is high energy. We're accountability partners. I look forward to being around him every day I wake up."
Claiborne believes consistency is the key for him as fall camp approaches.
"I know I have some big shoes to fill, so I just need to trust the coaching staff. I can see myself day-by-day getting closer to the goals I've set for myself," he said. "I need to come out every day and be the same guy. That can help me better get a chance to play. I know the coaches are going to put me in the right situation to succeed. Focusing on the details will help me in the long run.
"Every now and then I make a mistake, but who doesn't?"
Working with strength and conditioning coach Chad Bari in the weight room is helping Claiborne become more physically gifted in the pass protection part of his game.
"The extra weight is giving me more confidence to put my body in there," he said. "Pass protection was something completely new to me here at Wake Forest. It's not something I had to do in high school. Adding that tool to my game, knowing I have to protect Mitch (Griffis) back there, is something I look forward to. Somedays are harder than others, but I just have to trust my technique."
After fighting against running back coach John Hunter a bit when he first arrived, Claiborne has learned to trust his position coach.
"D, you're fighting me," Hunter used to tell him often during practices last year.
"In the fall I was fighting coach Hunter, and not listening to what he was saying," he said. "Once I started trusting him, knowing that I have to do exactly what he said. He's going to lead me in the right direction. Doing that has helped me a lot in the spring.
"Me and coach Hunt talk daily, and I love him. I'm happy to be around him. He's my coach and he's helped me a lot so far. I want to continue to grow with him."
Hunter is thrilled at the progress Claiborne is showing, and believes he has a big season ahead of him if he continues to show consistency.
"He's a very talented kid who is improving rapidly," Hunter said. "It's not coming as fast as he wants it to, but he's improved by leaps and bounds compared to when he first got here. He's just grinding every day and getting better.
"Most freshmen deal with pass protection, not just executing the block, but knowing who to block. You have to understand the protections. The progress he's made to this point is astronomical. He's getting better everyday. He's really starting to block people, but a lot of freshmen struggle with that initially."
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