The Clemson Tigers football team received a surprise inspirational guest speaker in the form of former Baylor Bears star basketball forward Isaiah Austin.
Inspirational guest speaker & Former Baylor basketball star, Isaiah Austin, is on hand today to help kick off camp! pic.twitter.com/1CLkohQmCO
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) August 4, 2015
Simply put, Austin is the perfect motivational speaker even though he never played college football. He was a star seven-footer who averaged 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in two seasons with the Bears and subsequently declared for the 2014 NBA Draft, but saw his budding career come to a sudden end when he was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome just before the big night.
Austin suffers from a genetic disorder that affects his body’s connective tissue and if he were to continue playing basketball, his heart would be at risk. Austin is also blind in his right eye.
Despite all that, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver saluted Austin on draft night and had him “drafted” into the league, even offering him a job so long as he finished school.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RAmHBWVVQo
Thus, seeing as how football is a major contact sport where careers can end in the blink of an eye, there is nobody better than Austin to come in and rally the team to do its best because for all they know, it could all be snatched away before they know it.
Clemson opens the season at home against the Southern Conference’s Wofford Terriers on September 5.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
