Coach Dabo Swinney may be a native of Alabama, but as the coach of the Crimson Tide-beating Clemson Tigers, he often feels like he is no longer a favorite son of the Yellow Hammer State.
With Clemson taking two of the last three titles away from the Crimson Tide, Alabama fans have apparently not been the most receptive to Swinney’s visits lately.
“I think it was all fun and games early on. It was, ‘awe, isn’t that sweet?’ and that stuff,” Swinney said according to USA Today. “They aren’t as happy to see me. But it’s all good. It’s a good problem.”
But Swinney has deep ties to Alabama. Born in Pelham, Alabama, Swinney later graduated from the University of Alabama. However, when asked by the host of a SiriusXM radio show if Alabamians put up walls when he visits home, Swinney admitted that these days he gets a chilly reception.
“I don’t know about walls, but I am kinda like Osama Bin Dabo. I have to navigate my way through the caves and back channels to make my way through Alabama these days,” the coach joked.
Instead of a native son, Swinney noted that Alabama has made him “a stepbrother” now.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.