Lane Kiffin put Lakendrick Clancy, better known as ‘Bam Bam,’ on blast to an audience of more than 300,000 during his appearance on The Pivot Podcast. The walk-on defensive lineman proved his head coach wrong after being labeled as the “worst basketball player ever.”
It was the redemption story of the year in college football thus far.
Clancy, the son of former college football All-American Kendrick Clancy, followed in his father’s footsteps as a defensive tackle at the University of Mississippi. He joined the Ole Miss program prior to fall camp last season and took a redshirt year as a freshman.
Although Bam Bam did not get on the field for the Rebels, his role on the team cannot be understated. First and foremost, walk-ons do not get enough love for how hard they play during practice without the same amount of recognition as the starters. Lakendrick Clancy is also crucial for morale.
Everybody loves him and his teammates love him even more when he makes a free throw.
Lane Kiffin often puts the pressure on Bam Bam.
Kiffin, who learned two different coaching styles from Pete Carroll and Nick Saban, leans on what he learned from the former to keep things loose. He wants his players to have fun. He wants them to enjoy their time with the program.
Part of that experience involves Bam Bam and a basketball hoop. Lane Kiffin often invites the beloved walk-on to the front of the room during meetings for a very simple challenge: make a free throw.
If the ball goes in the hoop, the team will skip right over the individual portion of practice and go right into team. Or perhaps they will not have to run sprints that day. Seems pretty easy, right?
There is only one problem. As Kiffin put it on the Pivot Podcast, Bam Bam is “the worst basketball player ever” so his teammates — especially the new ones who just arrived through the transfer portal — are often disappointed. Not on Saturday!!
Less than 36 hours after the world found out about his basketball ineptitude, Clancy made a free throw. The room went bonkers. Kiffin could not wipe the smile off of his face.
This kind of thing is what makes sports so much fun. Wins and losses are great, but the stories and experiences that come in between games or during the offseason cannot be matched. Lakendrick Clancy, better known as Bam Bam, is a beloved figure in Oxford, Mississippi and that rules. All because of a free throw and an interview.