Malcolm Greene is seven practices into his return this spring

Most importantly, he’s gotten through them pain-free.

“I’ve never felt like this at Clemson,” Greene said.

Greene is adamant that he’s healthier than he’s been at any point over the last three years, which have largely been injury plagued for Clemson’s veteran defensive back. Assuming Greene is able to stay on the field the rest of the spring and into the fall, he’s not shy about his personal goal for next season.

“I plan on leaving with the Jim Thorpe (Award),” Greene said, referencing the prize that annually goes to the top defensive back in college football.

Greene hasn’t always been available, though. He was shut down after seven games last season after undergoing groin surgery, but he recently revealed he was actually dealing a lot more than what was known publicly.

In addition to a torn adductor muscle, Greene said he also sustained multiple sports hernias a season ago. Before that, he dealt with various shoulder injuries that cost him games during the 2021 season as well as practice time last spring.

Greene said he began to feel like he had a clean bill of health again around mid-January, and he’s taking extra precautions within the football facilities to try to make sure he keeps it that way.

“I’ve been in the castle (recovery center) every day all day,” he said. “Been in there taking care of my body with infrared light, hyperbaric and oxygen chambers. And every day twice a day (in the training room) just trying to make sure I’m strong in all the weak areas – shoulders, groin, ankles, knees. Everything that could give me nicks and bruises and long-lasting aching injuries, I’m trying to make sure they’re out of the way.”

So far, so good in that regard for Green, who’s primarily played the nickel, or slot corner, position during his time at Clemson. But with senior cornerback Sheridan Jones (abs) out this spring, Greene is getting an extended look on the outside. He and Nate Wiggins, another returning starter, have received the majority of the first-team reps at corner.

“It feels great,” he said. “I love to compete.”

At 5-foot-10, Green lacks the ideal height and length for a corner. But he’s convinced he makes up for it with an aggressive approach to playing the position.

“Confident and a playmaker. That’s really all there is to it,” he said. “I love to tackle. Very easy to get off blocks. I like to get up in your face, and I’m very good at playing the deep ball.”

Greene has 40 tackles, four pass breakups and a pair of interceptions in his first three seasons with the Tigers, numbers he hopes to add to over the course of a full season. He said he plans on sticking at the outside corner position, but that will likely be determined once Jones and Jeadyn Lukus (shoulder surgery) are back in the fold come the fall.

In a way, Greene feels like he’s been biding his time on the back end of the defense. Regardless of where he lines up, he just wants to remain available to do so.

“With the preparation I’ve been having this offseason and having out there this spring on the field, I feel like this year is definitely the year I’ve been waiting for,” he said.

Dear Old Clemson has added the Tiger Sack Pack to our online store.  Save by getting the Two Pack of signed cards from two of the nation’s top defensive ends, Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas.

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