Kelly Bryant was Clemson’s quarterback for the first four games of last season, but he has not received a championship ring and will not receive one according to Dabo Swinney. Clemson’s head coach explained the reason behind that decision to ESPN on Wednesday.
Dabo said that the decision not to send Kelly Bryant a championship ring was simple. (via @ClowESPN) https://t.co/5x574kT1Ix pic.twitter.com/pbDhGngO3e
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 8, 2019
Swinney’s logic is pretty straightforward. Kelly Bryant wasn’t on the team when Clemson won the championship, and therefore he was not given a championship ring. Although Bryant started the first four games of the season, it became clear that sensational freshman Trevor Lawrence was too good to keep on the bench. Swinney made the decision to go with Lawrence the rest of the season and Bryant announced his intention to transfer shortly after he was demoted to being the back-up quarterback.
At the time, Bryant laid out what he was thinking to the Greenville News:
“I feel like it’s what’s best for me and my future. I was just going to control what I could control and try to make the most of my opportunity, but at the end of the day, I just don’t feel like I’ve gotten a fair shot.”
While Bryant was a solid quarterback for Clemson, there’s no doubt that Dabo made the right decision. Lawrence has otherworldly talent, and he has the Tigers in a great position to repeat. Many have already said he will be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and others have said he is the most pro-ready quarterback since Andrew Luck.
Kelly Bryant went to Missouri as a graduate transfer, and he will replace Drew Lock as the starting quarterback for the Tigers in 2019. During his career at Clemson, Bryant went 16-2 as a starter and completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 3,338 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He is an electric runner and has racked up 973 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
H/T ESPN
