Meet the man who always believed in Dabo Swinney

— -- TAMPA, Fla. -- Clemson's unsung MVP wasn't even in the house on Monday night when the Tigers reached college football's mountaintop for only the second time in school history.

Matter of fact, Terry Don Phillips had long since gone to bed by the time the final seconds ticked off the clock at Raymond James Stadium and Clemson was celebrating its 35-31 victory over Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T.

"The older I get, the harder it is on my blood pressure to watch the games live," explained the former Clemson athletic director, who will turn 70 in August. "So my wife DVRs the games for me, and I watch them after I know the result. It's a lot easier on me that way, and I didn't see any reason to change the script now, not after the season we've had."