Swinney, Spurrier: "Zero Tolerance" on Domestic Violence

Clemson University football coach Dabo Swinney is being praised by local domestic violence groups after comments made Tuesday during a press conference.

During the regularly scheduled conference, a reporter asked for his thoughts on domestic violence. Swinney shared a story that was intensely personal, saying he has "zero tolerance" for it.

"I can't tell you how many times as a kid I was thrown in a car and driven off to go to sleep in a car somewhere, or knock on somebody's door and find a place to spend the night," he said.

Swinney has been open about his past, saying he grew up with an alcoholic father.

"Not a lot of men are willing to speak against domestic violence," said Becky Callaham, director of Safe Harbor, a domestic violence organization serving the Upstate. "It's important that men do that."

Swinney's comments come at a very opportune time, too. State legislators are tackling the issue of domestic violence Wednesday at a hearing in Columbia.

Earlier, University of South Carolina Football Coach Steve Spurrier also said he had a zero tolerance policy on domestic violence.

South Carolina ranks No. 2 in the nation on deaths from domestic violence, behind Alaska, according to the Violence Policy Center.