GREENVILLE — Former Clemson Tiger and current Miami Dolphins defensive end, Christian Wilkins hosted a fan meet and greet at Dicks Sporting Goods in Greenville recently for local Clemson fans.

The former all-American says that while he has moved on to the NFL, Clemson will always have a special place in his heart.

“I’m here today, just signing some autographs and interacting with the fans,” Wilkins said. “It’s good to come back to Greenville here at Dicks [Sporting Goods] just because Clemson is always home. It’s always good to come back home and be there for the fans and the people who have supported me for four years and even in my NFL career now.”

While many athletes struggle with the transition from college football to the NFL, Wilkins has taken it with stride, crediting such a smooth transition to the four years he spent in the Clemson uniform.

“For me, it’s really been a pretty smooth transition because I feel like Clemson prepared me so well to just be prepared for the NFL and everything that comes with it. Just as far as being a pro, taking care of my business on and off the field. I feel like I just did such a great job at Clemson just because of [head] coach [Dabo] Swinney, the guys around me, and everybody on the staff, they all prepared me so well to be ready for that, so it’s been a pretty smooth transition.”

It is no secret Wilkins has been known on and off the field for his contagious personality and dance moves during his time at Clemson, and the defensive end has been no different in his rookie season in the NFL. In fact, Wilkins was recently mic’d up in a game versus the Cincinnati Bengals where he not only scored his first NFL career touchdown but was also caught on tape doing a little trash talking.

The video clip has since gone viral with ESPN calling Wilkins the “CEO of trash talking” and Wilkins says this all just stems from the joy that comes with doing what he loves.

“I’ve always had so much fun playing the game and have played with the same joy, the same level of the game ever since I was little kid, so I still try to bring that now,” he said. “You know, they’re already calling me the CEO of trash talk and that was only one video, so they should see me on a game-to-game basis. I usually bring the trash talk pretty good.”

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