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Passionate About Winning

WHAT WE DO:P.A.W. Journey is a leadership initiative that holistically develops Clemson Football scholar-athletes through personal growth, life skills, and professional development.

P.A.W., an acronym for “Passionate About Winning,” encourages football student leaders to maintain a continually competitive posture towards all aspects of the journey of life. This journey prepares each young man to apply their leadership, while also challenging them to seek new victories in their careers, communities, and households.

WHO WE ARE: P.A.W. Journey is a program-wide initiative for Clemson Football in which all coaches, staff, and scholar-athletes participate. All programs are player-led and serve as an integral part of their developmental leadership and articulation of team needs.

Contact P.A.W. Journey

Mailing Address: Jervey Athletic Center (Football) P.O. Box 31 Clemson, SC 29633

Physical Address: 100 Reeves Dr. Clemson, SC 29631

Email: pawjourney@clemson.edu

P.A.W. Journey in the News

PILLARS

STRIPED intentionally identifies and fosters each individual’s sense of purpose through personal development. A Tiger is known by its stripes and each stripe represents a lesson learned, a victory earned, a battle fought, or an exercise in displaying exemplary character. Once a stripe is earned, it cannot be lost; it is a permanent mark of meaningful change.

Character– mental and moral attributes each Tiger established throughout his journey

Confidence– the demonstration of belief in oneself and his ability to lead, contribute, and adapt

Conviction– deeply held and communicated values that preserve through adversity

With collaboration from current players, personal development opportunities are created and offered through the STRIPED pillar. By incorporating established curriculum models, inward development leads to outward impact. We emphasize personal values, overcoming adversity, utilizing influence, and continual growth for transformative matriculation and maturity.

P.A.W. Journey ambassadors

P.A.W. Journey Ambassadors are comprised of leaders within the team that show their commitment to the development of others, as well as to themselves. During their monthly meetings, one Ambassador leads a facilitated discussion on the teams needs and new initiatives within Clemson Football. Ambassadors are representatives of P.A.W. Journey, demonstrating advanced understanding of maturity, service, professionalism, and leadership.

Player Symposium

P.A.W. Journey hosts a yearly Player Symposium, a time set aside before Fall Camp to prepare our student-athletes for the upcoming season. This year featured speaker Inky Johnson, followed by a breakout activity that allowed position groups to identify what they do best! After presenting their group rankings to the entire team, each individual reflected their own top ten intangibles and how they maximize their strengths.

P.A.T. Man of The Year

The P.A.T. Award annually celebrates young men who exemplify and personify manhood through leadership, ethics, demeanor, and community involvement. The 2018 P.A.T. Man of the Year was Clelin Ferrell. A true team leader, Clelin anchored the defensive end position for Clemson this season and finishing 7th in the nation for sacks. Away from the field, he excelled in the classroom, graduating in December 2018 in Communications. Clelin has a heart for service, regularly volunteering in the community, participating in the Abroad Service Trip to Costa Rica, and aspiring to start his own non-profit. He was also an inaugural P.A.W. Journey Ambassador, representing his team, University, and community by contributing to changing the narrative of college football scholar-athletes nationwide.

The mission of C.U. In Life is to equip young men with the transferable tools necessary to sustain a lifestyle of winning and to address the holistic development of each person. Life skill development prepares each Tiger for financial wellness, practical professionalism, learning style identification, and applied leadership practices. Sustainable civic engagement promotes the understanding and appreciation of people, as well as the ability to serve others in both domestic and global impacts.

Educate – Provide opportunities for learning through content experts in various environments

Empower– Promote curiosity in skill development and provide tools for increased competency

Engage– Create personal connections to civic engagement in communities worldwide

Annual service initiatives domestic and abroad, as well as life skills workshops including etiquette dinners, financial literacy, public speaking, and mentorship.

P.A.W. JOURNEY WORLDWIDE: Abroad Service Trips

Each year, P.A.W. Journey creates an opportunity for football scholar-athletes to expand their world view and serve others in another country during our Abroad Service Trips. From the location to the work performed, student leaders determine the details of the experience throughout the year and continue to utilize their influence to positively impact others!

2019 fall team community service

During the bye week, the entire team participates in civic engagement opportunities surrounding the local area. This year, the team visited a non-profit organization in Anderson and provided an array of work including projects in the food pantry, community garden, facility maintenance & landscaping, and much more! The day produced the equivalent of "a week's worth of volunteers" in only two hours!

Kicks, Cleats, and Kids

Kicks, Cleats, and Kids is our annual service project that is partnered with Clemson's Call Me MISTER Program. Call Me MISTER serves socio-economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities, Call Me MISTER identifies mentors for these children and actively seeks to enrich their everyday lives. By coupling this program with Kicks, Cleats, and Kids children are invited to spend a day with the team as they tour the facility, interact with our young men through games and activities, and receive a pair of new Nike shoes.

5th QUARTER secures opportunities for football scholar-athletes to remain competitive in various professional settings without waiting for their football career to end. Instilling entrepreneurial spirit and executive skills, this pillar strategically plans professional development, influential marketplace exposure, and purposeful employment opportunities.

Principle– Conceptual exploration of professional success and best practices in areas of interest

Preparation– Intentional opportunities for learning, creation, and practice of professional skills

Passion – Connection of values to purposeful and rewarding employment and experiences

microinternship PRogram

2019 Career Hiring Fair

Companies like Cisco, and many others offered our guys fully paid micro-internships.

The 2018 Hire A Tiger event showcased our young men as future businessmen and allowed them to come prepared for a job opportunity. Employers set up tables with their information, and allowed the student-athletes to approach them and ask any questions that they may have concerning upcoming job opportunities. This event specifically highlighted the 2018 Senior Class, so that they were given the greatest opportunity for securing a position as soon as they graduated.

looking good, on & off the field

Not only our Clemson Football student-athletes learning the skills to navigate professional settings, but they are also learning the tools of the trade when networking. Each tiger is fitted and regularly appears in business attire, complete with personalized business cards and an eagerness to make meaningful exchanges with corporate leaders and mentors.

P.a.w. journey Week 2019

Brian dawkins lifetime achievement award winner

The Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2013, in order to recognize men who exemplify the characteristics of greatness both on and off the field. Coach Swinney said, "Brian Dawkins epitomizes everything you strive to be on and off the field when it comes to being a Clemson football player. He is the ultimate professional and has represented this university with distinction in every way. He has set a standard of excellence in every way." Michael Allen, was selected as the 7th recipient of this award and was recognized on the field during the homecoming game on September 7th. On February 4, 2018, it was announced that Dawkins was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was one of five players selected, and on August 4th, he was officially inducted.

meet the staff

A special thank you to

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