Dave Canales, who is entering his second season as head coach of the Carolina Panthers, thinks a lot of Dabo Swinney, who\u2019s going into his 18th season (and 17th full season) as Clemson\u2019s head coach.<\/p>\n
Canales had the chance to chat with and learn a little bit from Swinney on Monday, when Swinney went to Panthers training camp in order to watch Clemson legend Hunter Renfrow in action with his new NFL team.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was awesome. I\u2019m so glad he came to join us our first day of pads,\u201d Canales said of Swinney.<\/a> \u201cI really admire Coach Swinney, just over the years, just watching the programs that he\u2019s built, the type of football that they play. I don\u2019t get to hang out with him enough, so when things like this work out where I can steal three to five minutes and pick his brain, just on building culture and pushing the guys and all the things that I know he\u2019s done so well for so long.\u201d<\/p>\n Renfrow, who signed<\/a>\u00a0a one-year deal with the Panthers in April, sees similarities between his old head coach at Clemson and his new one in Charlotte.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re very similar,\u201d Renfrow said of Swinney and Canales<\/a>. \u201cThey\u2019re very optimistic. They believe in you before you believe in yourself. They try to speak life into people, speak good into people. \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re both awesome people. Unbelievable human beings, first, right. I think y\u2019all know Coach Canales well enough, and being around Clemson as well, I think they\u2019re both the epitome of just good people and they want the best for the people they do life with. They love people. They care about people first, and then football takes cares of itself. And you want to do well for people like that. \u2026 Whatever industry it is, I think you just want to see good people succeed, and so that gives you a little extra when you wake up in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, Renfrow is making his NFL comeback after missing all of the 2024 season as he\u00a0dealt with health challenges<\/a>\u00a0stemming from a diagnosis of the autoimmune condition ulcerative colitis.<\/p>\n Now healthy again, Renfrow has quickly acclimated himself well with his new team and was impressive when the Panthers opened training camp on July 23, with Renfrow hauling in multiple nice catches, including\u00a0a diving grab<\/a>. He continued to impress with\u00a0another diving catch<\/a>\u00a0on Monday.<\/p>\n Renfrow is now embarking on his sixth NFL season, after recording 269 receptions for 2,884 yards and 17 touchdowns across his five seasons with the Raiders from 2019-23.<\/p>\n He was drafted by the Raiders in the fifth round (149th\u00a0overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft following a legendary Clemson career during which he won two national titles while racking up 186 receptions for 2,133 yards and 15 touchdowns.<\/p>\n