Dabo Swinney, Clemson honor Diondre Overton during home win | Clemson Tigers Sports

CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney walked into Memorial Stadium for Clemson’s home opener with anything but tunnel vision.

The coach found himself looking up, noticing how the sun was beaming through a mostly cloudy sky. There was, Swinney would say in his postgame press conference, something spiritual about that image.

Swinney strolled down Tiger Walk, plaques of the program’s former captains underneath his feet. One of those bronze memorials was marked by an orange Clemson balloon, tethered to a bouquet of yellow and red flowers.

Swinney knelt, kissing his hand before he patted the plaque commemorating Diondre Overton, a 2019 co-captain. Earlier that day, the Tigers’ coach had received a text message from his former offensive line coach, Robbie Caldwell, who had recruited Overton out of Page High School in Greensboro, NC

Overton had died in the early morning hours of Sept. 7, shot and killed in his hometown. He was 26 years old.

“Just took the wind out of my body this morning,” Swinney said. “Something like this, it’s so senseless.”

Clemson clobbered Appalachian State that night, 66-20. But these painful words were among the first out of Swinney’s mouth. It had been a long day.

He woke up that morning to text messages on his phone, including one from Caldwell. Swinney then talked to Overton’s dad.

According to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to reports of a “loud party” and “noise disturbances” on Spring Mill Road in Greensboro at around 2:30 am on Sept. 7.

On their way to the scene, they received reports of a shooting. Overton was pronounced dead when deputies arrived, according to the sheriff’s office.

“The good news is I know where he is,” said Swinney, who recalled Overton’s baptism while he was at Clemson. That picture is still on Swinney’s phone.

“I know,” Swinney continued, “he’s with the good Lord.”

Swinney remembered Overton, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver, as “one of the sweetest spirited kids that we’ve had” at Clemson. One of the best teammates Swinney has ever had in his program, too.

A picture popped in Swinney’s mind of Overton wearing a leather helmet as the MVP of a win over Boston College in 2019, having just hauled in three catches for 119 yards and three touchdowns.

Overton’s number, 14, came to mind for Swinney’s players before the App State game — along with the revelation that Clemson has two No. 14s on the roster, quarterback Trent Pearman and safety Rob Billings.

Normally, Swinney will sprint down the hill at Memorial Stadium to start every game, well ahead of his players. This time, the cannons at Memorial Stadium fired and Swinney waited.

Pearman and Billings, the Tigers’ pair of 14s, trotted down the hill first. Swinney then trailed behind.

He noticed the way the sun was beaming through the clouds.

“It was awesome just to be able to honor him and just show our love for him and his family,” Swinney said. “It’s a very difficult day for a lot of people who love Diondre Overton.”

Before the game started, a black-and-white image of Overton in his Clemson uniform — in memoriam, 1998-2024 — was projected on Memorial Stadium’s big board.

“My heart hurts,” Swinney said. “My prayers are with his family.”