Boca Raton, FL – With the biggest story around the Miami Heat still being the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, the superstar is using training camp this week to continue getting acclimated to his new team. Other Heat players are using training camp as a way to prove themselves, as is the case with Ian Schieffelin, though his journey to the NBA has been one that few players can say they've followed the same path.

When Miami announced that the team signed Schieffelin to an Exhibi-1o contract so he can prove himself at training camp with the organization, the one aspect that stood out to most people was his short time with the Clemson football program.

Heat's Ian Schieffelin on similarities with Erik Spoelstra, Dabo Swinney

While Schieffelin played four seasons with the Tigers on the basketball side, starting 70 games with the program and being a pivotal component to a few March Madness runs, his fifth season at the school had him play tight end. He appeared in eight games for head coach Dabo Swinney, logging a total of 20 offensive snaps.

As college football fans will know, Swinney has been known for his success at that level, and now looking to share his talents with head coach Erik Spoelstra, Schieffelin said to ClutchPoints on Thursday in a one-on-one interview that the two have similarities. Specifically, it's how much the two coaches care about how players develop off-the-field, or off-the-court depending on which sport, compared to when the game starts.

“We've had two Navy SEAL guys come in here and talk to us and just kind of talk about the leadership aspects and what they've been through and about characteristics in life, just to carry you through, and Swinney does the same stuff,” Schieffelin said.

“We've had a bunch of motivational guys during my time in football come and just talk, and it's just big for off-the-court stuff as well, just to develop as a person,” Schieffelin continued. “And I think that that speaks volumes to who they are, just caring about that side of who we are as people, not just the sports side.”

There's no denying that Schieffelin's short time with Clemson on the football side stands out, since few players have played both at the collegiate level and chosen to play basketball professionally.

Heat's Ian Schieffelin on playing football, having passion for basketball

Notable names to have played college football and later been to the NBA are Nate Robinson, Darrell Armstrong, and Charlie Ward. Ward is arguably the one with the most success, as he won the Heisman Trophy in 1993 playing quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles and was an NBA first-round draft pick by the New York Knicks in 1994.

For Schieffelin, the passion lay with basketball, as while the football side is getting the attention, his time with the Tigers' basketball program was memorable, being one of 47 players in the school's history to score 1,000 career points. Plus, Schieffelin is ranked seventh in career rebounds with Clemson at 884 boards, as his senior season saw him earn Second Team All-ACC honors.

That passion for basketball started really during his time in high school at Grayson in Loganville, Georgia.

“It started in high school when I quit football going into my junior year,” Schieffelin said. “There's always a little unknown with quitting. I always thought football was my sport, and it was what I was better at. But my passion was always in basketball, so I ended up going the basketball route.”

“I had a successful college career, and just ended up with an opportunity for Swinney to just join the football team,” Schieffelin continued. “And as always, I grew up going to camps there, playing football. So it was just a nice opportunity to have, and something that I didn't want to wonder if I did go that route, see if maybe something sparked, something happens, and honestly, just blew me back to playing basketball.”

Ian Schieffelin on what he wants to prove to the Heat

While basketball started being a serious career path in high school, it goes even farther back than that for the 23-year-old, with the setting being backyard games against his older brother, Colton. Let's just say there wasn't a lot of winning for the younger sibling at the time.

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“It started just in the backyard with my brother. You know, just playing one-on-one against him. I was never able to beat him. He was older than me, so if I ever got close, I'd usually be on the ground or something,” Schieffelin said. “So it's always been that spark of always wanting to get better and be able to beat him and just kind of being a little kid, being in that backyard, and that's the sport I always went to and always played, and I grew a love for it
.”

Schieffelin played for the Heat during the Summer League, playing in eight games where he averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range. Now he wants to prove to Miami that he can make an impact.

“Honestly, there's always a chip on my shoulder. I haven't played basketball in a year and a half, so just being able to get out here and play and just give everything I got and use full intensity and just have impact on winning and just impact the team,” Schieffelin said.

Heat's Erik Spoelstra on Ian Schieffelin being a “rock star” for Clemson

Speaking of Spoelstra, he would speak about Schieffelin on Wednesday at Florida Atlantic University for training camp, and while he didn't have communication with Swinney directly about the prospect, he notes him being a “rock star” with Clemson. Also speaking about Schieffelin getting into better shape, Spoelstra calls him a “tremendous talent.”

“I didn’t communicate with Dabo specifically; I believe Quinny [assistant coach Chris Quinn] did, but he was a rock star in college where coaching staffs in both basketball and football just loved him,” Spoelstra said. “Actually, loved him as a competitor that impacts winning. And even though he may not look like it, he’s a tremendous talent. The ability to do both is crazy in this day and age. He’s a competitor; we like that quality about him. Got in shape this summer, so he can run forever, allowing him to make more plays.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen how Schieffelin progresses with Miami, as he looks to close out training camp at FAU on a positive note, with the hopes he can be with the Heat's G League affiliate, Sioux Falls Skyforce, to continue his development.