PARKER’S RETURN

A lot of the talk the past several days has centered around the sudden return on Kyle Parker to the Tigers and how players and coaches took the good news. KP claimed that he was excited to return. “The biggest thing I want to say is that I love Clemson University. I’m ready to get back out on the field, support my returning teammates, and turn the page and just gear up for football.” TE Dwayne Allen apparently got all misty eyed when he head the news.

“I didn’t mean to make him cry,” Parker joked. “I guess I could throw him a couple of balls.”

Parker’s return did have a downside for someone other than Tajh Boyd, and that person was me. I bet a friend that Parker would leave, and if he did that person would have to drink the nastiest booze I could find come the North Texas tailgate. Parker returns, which means Gene won’t be drinking Chinese snake wine (not a euphemism) and I’ll probably be drinking Mad Dog or Thunderbird or some such hobo serum.

TAJH

While the team was clearly relieved that Parker was returning, Tajh Boyd had to have been a bit miffed. You’ve gotta think he was excited about being the starter, as he was said to have had the edge over Michael Wade. While I think Tajh will be a dynamic, good quarterback in time, I have no doubt he needs more time. A baptism by fire with the schedule we have coming up would be a bad, bad thing for the Tigers. Dabo has claimed that Tajh will be prepared for each game like he’s going to start.

D-MAC

All the talk about Parker has shifted attention away from Clemson’s best returning player, DeAndre McDaniel. Heather Dinich of ESPN interviews him here. WSPA also has an interview with him here.