NEW ORLEANS -- Alabama safety Tony Brown thanked Clemson for providing the motivation the Tide needed to beat the Tigers in Monday night's Allstate Sugar Bowl.
After Alabama's 24-6 win in the CFP semifinal, Brown told AL.com that Clemson coach Dabo Swinney disrespected the Tide by voting them at No. 5, behind Big Ten champion Ohio State, in the final coaches' poll.
"I love Dabo for all the ammunition he gave this team, man," Brown said on a video posted by AL.com. "He gave this team a lot of ammunition to come play this game and ready to dominate every play. Told us we weren't ready, told us we weren't worthy of [being] a top-four team. Look, that's what happens when you talk trash to us. We're going to show you."
Brown also disputed Clemson wide receiver Hunter Renfrow's claim that he apologized to Brown for talking trash in last season's national championship game. Renfrow said last week that he thought he could get in Brown's head by apologizing.
"He was kind of taken off guard by it," Renfrow said. "And sometimes that's the best kind of trash talk, just to be positive."
Brown called Renfrow's claim "a complete lie."
"From what I heard, he said we were talking trash during the game, and he felt bad about what happened during the game, and he tried to contact me," said Brown, who had a tackle and a pass breakup in Alabama's win. "It didn't happen. That didn't happen at all. ... That was a complete lie. But like I said, I appreciate it. I love it."
Brown also referred to the tombstone Clemson placed near its football complex to commemorate the win over Alabama in last season's title game. Clemson displays similar tombstones for its top victories.