2015 #ACCKickoff ? The Players

PINEHURST, N.C. — It began with the ACC Gridiron Live at 8:15 a.m. and didn’t conclude until the final radio interview with WCCP-FM at 4:45 p.m. But Clemson’s 2015 ACC Kickoff player representatives, seniors Eric Mac Lain and D.J. Reader, handled the onslaught of preseason media interviews in stride Monday at the Carolina Hotel on the famous Pinehurst Resort.

The Tiger program would’ve been hard-pressed to find two better representatives, as the two well-prepared young men passed every test with flying colors Monday. The chemistry between the two was obvious from the get-go, and it only got better as the day progressed. One of the highlights took place early, when Mac Lain had difficulty squeezing into the jacket provided by the ACC Digital Network for a simulated broadcast.

Once it was determined it’d be best for him to drape the jacket over his shoulders like a cape, he and Reader combined to “broadcast” a highlight from the previous season. Watch below as they passionately describe Deshaun Watson’s touchdown leap from 2014 against NC State.

It was a day of answering questions, ones that ranged from team-specific to anything you can possibly think of. ESPN’s College GameDay room asked Reader his biggest fear, to which his response generated a ton of laughter when he replied, “Cockroaches. I hate them, I’d probably jump out of my chair if one was on the floor in here.”

Following the morning session with the different TV and digital networks, the players got a one-hour break for lunch. After that, the players from each team gathered on the West Lawn at the facility for a traditional group photo. After the photo, Mac Lain and NC State defensive end Mike Rose (a native of Fountain Inn, S.C.) staged a mock interview in front of reporters, a light moment in a day full of fun for the interior lineman.

After the photo shoot, the players took part in some “gladiator” video shoots with the ACC and ESPN before meeting with pools of writers for newspapers and various Web sites to finish out the long day.

#ACCKickoff — By the Numbers

7 — Total hours of interviews8 — Television network & digital interview stations9 — Radio interviews (live and taped) per player

The action resumes Tuesday morning for Head Coach Dabo Swinney, who will go through the same gauntlet of interviews the players faced Monday. The Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association’s predicted order of finish will be released for the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, as will the Player and Rookie of the Year projections.

[View the story “2015 ACC Kickoff” on Storify]