DALLAS — It was quite the welcome for the Clemson Football team as it arrived at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas Sunday night.
The Tigers are preparing to face Notre Dame in the 83rd Cotton Bowl Classic this Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas with hopes of making it back to the national championship game for a third time in four years.
As Clemson unloaded everything off of the buses the team, coaches, and their families were greeted by the Cotton Bowl staff along with a local high school band as they entered the doors of the hotel.
However, the Cotton Bowl staff were not the only people who welcomed the team with friendly smiles. All of the front desk workers were wearing orange Clemson t-shirts under their blazers.
Christina, a worker originally from Irving, Texas said the staff likes to make their guests feel as at home as possible.
“We like to cater with our guests so when big groups come in we like to decorate for them,” she said.
“We got (the shirts) from Clemson just to support,” added Andrew who is the Front Office Supervisor and a native of Dallas.
“Usually conferences give us stuff to wear. Like we had a Verizon conference and they gave us shirts. Or we get little pins from different people so it’s just to go with the whole theme of the hotel, to go with the Cotton Bowl.”
Christina, who is not a follower of college football, was immediately taken back by the size of the Clemson players as they walked into the hotel.
“I just knew (Clemson was) a football team,” she said. “I don’t follow college football too often. That’s all I knew, that they were a football team.
“I was out there and they were towering over me. I’m like, ‘That’s crazy.’ I’m just not used to that because I’m tall for a female.”
Clemson will play Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday at 4 p.m. EST.