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Clemson QB D.J. Uiagalelei stuck sharing spotlight with father ‘Big Dave’

If you’re tuning into Notre Dame-Clemson Saturday night in South Bend, get ready for a heavy dose of “Big Dave.” The father of D.J. Uiagalelei — Trevor Lawrence’s

If you’re tuning into Notre Dame-Clemson Saturday night in South Bend, get ready for a heavy dose of “Big Dave.”

The father of D.J. Uiagalelei — Trevor Lawrence’s stand-in — was a fixture in his son’s first game, with television cameras spending a large portion of the game focused on him.

“It was cool,” he told USA Today Sports. “I got about 400 text messages after the game.”

Dave, a former bodyguard for the likes of Rihanna, Chris Brown, Nick Cannon and Meek Mill, is hard to miss, at 6-foot-4 and 380 pounds. He’s loud, likes attention and is having a blast seeing his son, a true freshman and former five-star recruit, get his shot with Lawrence out with COVID-19.

“Big Dave” is so outspoken, his son once blocked him on Twitter.

“I know he’s a happy dad, but sometimes he can be over the top,” D.J. said. “He likes the spotlight. I’m more like my mom; I’d rather be low-key.”

Dave won’t deny that. He’s incredibly proud and won’t hide it.

“D.J. doesn’t like seeing all the rankings and what people say about him,” Dave said. “But someday he’ll understand what it is to be a proud dad.

“I’m no LaVar Ball. I’m just grateful and thankful to have a great kid. I just want everybody to know that he is as advertised. I always knew this would happen. It was just a matter of time until the rest of the world found out.”

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