A heartfelt moment can often reflect the spirit of a community. When Clemson President Jim Clements hugged his daughter, Grace, at the ClemsonLIFE graduation ceremony, it captured that spirit. The entire college football community witnessed it, and the moment quickly became a viral sensation.
Clemson HC Dabo Swinney, who delivered the commencement speech at the ceremony, celebrated the emotional hug shared between the father and daughter and recently shared his reaction to that graduation hug.
Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney Reacts to President’s Daughter’s Emotional Graduation Hug
In the viral moment, Grace, daughter of Clemson University president Jim Clements, ran to her father, jumped into his arms, and brought him to the ground at the ClemsonLIFE commencement ceremony.
ClemsonLIFE, self-described as offering “a collegiate experience that prepares young men and women with intellectual disabilities for competitive employment and independent living,” has been a prominent program on Clemson’s campus since its founding in 2008.
The video of the moment quickly went viral, racking up over 13 million views online. The Clements family was later featured on NBC’s Today Show, where they reflected on that special moment.
Recently, at the ACC’s annual coaches meetings, Swinney discussed the touching scene.
Dabo Swinney reflects on a beautiful moment between Clemson President Jim Clements and his daughter Grace 🧡 pic.twitter.com/MXOhP1VcQh
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) May 12, 2025
Swinney couldn’t hide his admiration when he talked about the emotional graduation moment between Jim and Grace.
He recalled seeing Grace leap into her father’s arms and described it with excitement.
“She comes running, and I mean, she jumps up, and President Clements catches her, and it’s just perfect. It was just amazing.”
He added that they were trying to recreate a similar hug from a previous ClemsonLIFE event, but as Swinney pointed out, “It just didn’t quite stick the landing the way they wanted… And I’m going to tell you, I thought it was, if you haven’t seen that segment on the Today Show, it’s one of the best… it will just bring joy to you.”
FURTHER READING: ‘Step Back, and Look at Life’ — Coach Prime Shares Shedeur Sanders Interview Clip of QB Speaking About Blessings
The 55-year-old coach also praised Beth Clements, Jim’s wife, for her supporting role. “Beth Clements is amazing,” he said. “The type of mom that she is, the type of father that Jim is, and all that Clemson Life does—it really brings hope to a lot of other families.”
However, you should not be surprised by Swinney’s overwhelming reaction. He’s known the Clements family since 2013 and has seen Grace grow over the years. For him, that viral graduation hug was just another beautiful memory added to their journey together.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
