CLEMSON, S.C. — When Clemson begins preseason practice this Friday behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex, a familiar face will be back on the defensive side of the football.
Bryan Bresee, who missed the last nine games of the 2021 season after tearing his ACL at NC State in Week 4, will return to full practice for the first time since last September. The All-American candidate sat out spring drills as he nursed a shoulder, he had surgery on prior to spring practice.
Though he could not practice in the spring, it did not mean the 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive tackle was not working.
“He has been awesome,” Clemson defensive line coach Nick Eason said recently. “He is a tough kid. Mike Tomlin, something I learned when I was with the Steelers, I rather say, ‘Whoa than sic’em.’ He is a kid that you have to say ‘Whoa!’ because he is always going to give you hundred and fifty percent of everything he has.”
During the spring, Bresee was right in the middle of things on the sideline, learning as much as he could. He did not miss any of his unit or team meetings and was asking all he could while his teammates were working on their fundamentals in individual drills.
There were times, like Eason said, when he had to tell Bresee to slow down.
“For me, it has been like, ‘Hey, man! You have a long season. I need you, for how many games it is going to take to get to the national championship, I need you for all of those.’ So, he is working really hard,” Eason said. “He has been great. Even when he was still going through his rehab, he was present at practice. He was present in meetings.
“So, he has been doing a really good job of, not only getting back, but continuing to just be more of a leader in the role that he is in.”
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