Clemson coach calls NFL players returning to play college football 'embarrassing' for the sport

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — The list of football coaches publicly criticizing the possibility of former pros being allowed to return to play in college this season was joined Tuesday by Clemson's Dabo Swinney, who called it a “joke” as his team prepares to play the team at the center of the controversy.

“I just think it’s embarrassing where we’re at in college football — and we’ve been there for a while, so,” Swinney said ahead of Clemson’s season opener at No. 11 LSU on Saturday night.

Former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright began practicing this week at LSU under first-year head coach Lane Kiffin , although the former Ole Miss player is not expected to play this week due to the NCAA's acclimatization protocol.

Whether Wright or other players who spent part of this offseason with NFL clubs — a list that also includes defensive lineman Zxavian Harris and defensive back Blake Cotton —- will ever play for LSU or anyone else remains undecided. All Power Four conferences, along with three of the Group of Six conferences, have barred pro players from returning to college football. That stance has resulted in court challenges.

Kiffin, who left Ole Miss for LSU this offseason, has been criticized for the school's decision to actively recruit former NFL players. He defended the decision Monday by saying his decisions are made in “the best interest of the players that sit in this team room and not for my reputation."

Kiffin added that if college players are being paid like professionals, he is willing to make the case that college teams should be able to make late roster additions, declaring: “This is how the real world works.”

Swinney said he has only met Kiffin once and has no issues with him. He also said he doesn't blame players for trying to find a home and continue their careers after being cut from NFL rosters. But he made it clear that he's frustrated with the lack of governance in college football.

“I mean, it’s a joke," Swinney said. "And when you enforce rules, somebody just goes and finds a judge to say, ‘No, you can’t enforce that rule.’ Never did I think I’d be living in an era like this ... but that’s where we are.”

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian this week said bouncing a college student for someone who was on an NFL roster, briefly or otherwise, was “morally wrong” and Northwestern coach David Braun echoed Kiffin, saying “I look forward to the day where there’s a consistent road map and consistency and common sense prevailing in college football.”

Aside from former NFL players, rosters around college football are also adding players who sued to get an extra year of eligibility by challenging the NCAA's new 5-in-5 rule that excluded members of the high school Class of 2022. One of those players, former Notre Dame defensive lineman Junior Tuihalamaka, is expected to be available for LSU against Clemson.

Swinney joked that the Clemson staff has had to watch preseason film of NFL teams to prepare for this week's game.

“I’m not really worried about it,” Swinney said. “I don’t judge anybody. Everybody can do whatever they want to do. I’m not going to sit here and judge somebody else on their decisions they make and how they want to run their program or whatever. Our focus is on us. That’s really all that matters. I can’t control any of that stuff.”

Swinney, however, couldn’t resist taking a final jab ahead of what should be one of the showcase games this weekend when he was asked how good running back Adam Randall was for Clemson last season.

“He’s playing for the (Baltimore) Ravens now," Swinney said. "Maybe if they would’ve waived him, we could’ve gotten Adam back. That would’ve been nice.”

AP sports writers Brett Martel, Jim Vertuno and Jay Cohen contributed.

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