Riley Skinner Interview

All week this week. Wake Forest Athletics has been rolling out Hall of Fame inductees for the 2020 class. I don't know if there to have a ceremony this year because of everything that's happening around us. So maybe it might happen in 2021, but I think were still good: the 2020 class Diane Dailey from the women's golf program was the first one announced Mike being gone from track and field guy Sam Swank was announced earlier today. You might remember him. He had 350 yard field goals against NC state way back when. And one of his teammates who now joins us quarterback Riley Skinner and inductee into the Wake Forest sports Hall of Fame.

Riley times appreciated as always. What's crazier inducted into the Wake Forest sports Hall of Fame, or realizing at 33 years old that you're old enough now to get into a sports Hall of Fame at the great question first time, he got me and I think the latter part while thinking when you hear Hall of Fame you typically think athletes that have been out for a long time and I feel like of, but I just got out last year and then looking back then over 10 years of plated on football very humbled and grateful first year being eligible to be in the Hall of Fame to get the induction of the surprise I got a call from John Kerry.. It was funny. He told me you want to talk with me and get my perspective on 19 and how it can affect Wake Forest for what the landscape will look thought to myself how on earth am I here this 1520 minute call with them and luckily that was just a nice little cover-up for a surprise to let me know in the Hall of Fame Monday, May 20 never forget you completely.

Do you in for a couple minutes not life golf where he was in the next thing you know, for five people started popping into the call, which ended up being the Hall of Fame committee. It was a pretty minute I like to picture Riley Skinner writing down on the notepad all these ways.

Hey, these are some ways you can react in a coded 19 and all the pigs and then realizing that man I just put in this work to help you out. All I'm getting into the Hall of Fame. Is that about right about right. I can't think of what I would think the players should be dealing with this and think they can be doing in the bottom all the great ideas that never credible.

Riley Skinner with this your Wake Forest sports Hall of Fame inductees announced this week. Thinking back, though, to when you first arrived at Wake Forest. What do you remember about what Jim Groves pitched was that resonated with you because after three consecutive losing seasons heading into 06. It was a lot of winning. He was selling water and it was pretty wild and make me think even more how crazy this whole story is because I didn't have. I didn't have another Division I scholarship but had 1/2 scholarship to the school and wake ended up offering me eight days before signing day and so he didn't have to pick me a lot.

I was already just gorilla to have the opportunity to continue to play football. After high school and so when I got that offer. I would hook, line, figure out for loved it and love coach growth personality. The way he cared about you.

The person his philosophy on redshirting and slowly developing players aware.

He wants them to pique their junior redshirt junior in theaters even though I like that about it.

When I got on campus that I came from a high school in Jacksonville that I lost twice in my four years when I school football so winning was a common thing and we went. I think we went born seven my redshirt year watch from the sidelines. There was a tough thing to really grasp that this was the reality. Now we were to class in the APC got into my redshirt freshman season and coach growth.

Credit only Dr. Corky only preached the same thing about you know cohesiveness plain forgot beside you be impatient and not being that God beaten team guys and that that first year was the ultimate reflection on his philosophy when you lose your starting quarterback you live through your starting running back. You have a receiver move from receiver to running back to your starting God for the last five games of the season and definitely world-weary unit.

We were team that played well together and resulted in some positive things cohesiveness.

It's an important thing, and all the things you mentioned you need that in order to be a competitive team but there's a difference between being competitive and doing something nobody else is done and that's winning an ACC football championship. When did you know that winning an ACC title was possible at Wake Forest. I think it was after our game at Florida State.

We had we lost one game and that with the Clemson up at that point, and that unthinkingly log really should've one we were when we were about to go up 23 on had a field-goal block. They ran back for a touchdown and then they strung together late for quarter when then we want a few games after that and then went down Florida State at Fort data in a primetime setting and beat them 30 to nothing, and after that, I think it all click for everybody that we could do some special here that we had.

We had a team. Those capable of getting to the agency championship put to me. It was after that when the way in which we whine, gave everybody on that team a crazy amount confident that we could do some much like escrow. It took a couple years for Dave Clawson to get fired up at Wake Forest and now is going to bowl games every single year. It seems like what impresses you the most watching from afar.

What Clawson has built succeeding your coach coach growth. I think good things one light coach grow.

Clawson has stuck with philosophy. He had an often philosophy and a defense of Locksley Bailey offense.

The network everywhere. He had been at smaller schools leading up to that point and it took a couple years but after year three or four.

They were winning conference championships at every respect that and that's what you've done the first few years were were ugly.

You know they were unable to move all very much you with a different looking offense, but he never wavered and that is proven to be the recipe right now and we got one more was of all think the in the ACC and the second thing that stands out to me is the confidence in which our guys play it a little bit of you know that that combination of confidence cockiness swagger however you want to call it that we have been lacking for number of years and watching our guys on the field they believe they can compete with anybody and everybody they step foot on deal with so that from afar have been really fun to watch and I think I can because often I called him on Wednesday for about 45 minutes in the even very gracious to keep me you infiltrated with the program and did most of the players and the coaches I love the path that way for football is on right now right that your wife is from the same hometown that you're from and also went to an ACC school that wasn't named Wake Forest that we went to rival high schools. Oddly enough, didn't know each other. Graduated same year the Clemson and her dad actually played play for Clemson on the 81 NASA Sandridge it came and they are dotted and that is not saying they are still diehard click.got a little more orange and purple in my house that I like to have, but my kids know my three little boys no when they have a selection of black and gold orange and purple on the black and gold to follow up here. Number one did you how how much could you tolerate the last few years as Clinton coming they got it fired up in a way that very few have it demo Sweeney what he's doing. It's been rough or Wake Forest last year's during that game, you sit there the entire time or is there a point where you have to step away. We will involve husband and wife during that game got to the point where I've become a little bit. I hate to say it, I've become a little bit and all of watching what data done with that program. You're in their office and how they just how they show up on big-time stages weekend and week out I will say more than I ever have. I am able to tolerate the Tigers but never my life that I want to see them up up on the digs, the way they have it. I want to wrap things up when we started to put a bow on it. Riley Skinner with this year Wake Forest sports Hall of Fame inductee you getting inducted to the Hall of Fame in your talking about your three kids there. How cool is it going to be to be able to show people or show them specifically.

Hey, at one time what you were able to do and what you did, be celebrated for your athletic career and be able to share that with them special and my older six years old now and he's starting to ask questions and get it at me like to watch them all gained we have and it is one of the more prouder moments for me knowing that I worked my tail off with a good teammate and try to do all the little things right and to be able to cut a parent and shepherd him in that direction knocked out.

The play football or anything, but you know what hard work with the termination what being a good person and a good teammate.

What that can bring you and deftly one more special. Think of the father slept with three boys now to have them start to see and understand what we are able to do and listen to them some time to brag about their little bodies.

They give me Disney will chuckle inside pilots school to get some answers a lot of parents. I cannot agree with that resonate with what you're saying right there.

I just look forward to seeing you when you get down here for the Hall of Fame ceremony.

Hopefully before that, given everything that's going on right now, but to appreciate the time in the meantime it got to grab me on. I really appreciate and look forward ugly thing up there.

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