
Nyles Pinckney
By Makenna Biehl
In the second quarter, Clemson was up 24-7 when the coaching staff decided it was time for a big play. Defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney was given the opportunity to take the ball into the endzone from the one-yard line. Pinckney was able to pull off the touchdown, and his celebration proved how excited he was. After the game, Head Coach Dabo Swinney said, “I told Nyles to act like he’s been there before. He reminded me that he had not been there before.” Pinckney later told media that his excitement got to him, but he tried not to lose his mind.
Pinckney on his touchdown: “It’s a great feeling. I didn’t want to lose my mind when I got in there, but it was a good feeling.”
— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) October 17, 2020
Swinney: "I told Nyles to act like he had been there before, and then I realized he's never been there before. So we're going to work on that."#ClemsonSportsNews
— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) October 17, 2020
Pinckney’s touchdown was a product of all of the hard work that he’s given to the team. He explained how they spend the whole week intensely preparing for games that it just makes Saturdays even easier. He went into more detail, telling how the coaches and players all have a game standard—saying that no matter who is in playing, they’re going to give their best. The team doesn’t let the game’s score or the players on the field change their mindset.
Pinckney: “We feel like practice is harder than the games. We treat practice and reps like a game, and hold each other accountable.”
— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) October 17, 2020
Pinckney: “We hold ourselves to a standard no matter who is in.”
— ClemsonSportsNews (@ClemSportNews) October 17, 2020
The senior has now added a touchdown to his season stats that consist of six tackles and a sack. Pinckney and the rest of the Clemson Tigers are now preparing to face Syracuse at home this Saturday.
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