Clemson-UConn matchup acts as a family reunion for the Phommachanhs

Taisun says around 20-30 Phommachanhs will be in Death Valley Saturday.

by Zachary Wagner - Correspondent - Wed Nov 10 09:00:06 GMT-04:00 2021

It was looking to be a family affair on the field this weekend inside of Memorial Stadium when the UConn Huskies came into town for the first-ever matchup between the programs. Tyler Phommachanh, Taisun’s younger brother is a freshman quarterback for UConn and was putting together an impressive first season before a left knee injury sidelined him for the season during the Huskies' loss to Vanderbilt in October. Tyler had appeared in three games, throwing for a touchdown and over 300 yards, while rushing for two on the ground as well.

Taisun was looking forward to meeting his brother before the game, one in orange and one in white, but a post-game hug and a family get-together after the game will have to do instead.

“It’s not weird at all, I think it’s a unique experience,” Taisun said. “I don’t know too many guys who get to play against their brother at the college level. It’s going to be fun for me, going out there and competing knowing he’s on the other side. We talked last night a little bit, he’s excited and I’m excited, it’s going to be fun.”

Even with the injury, the younger brother is still expected to travel to Tiger Town with the Huskies, and while Taisun is disappointed they won’t be leading their teams together, he is still excited for the opportunity to see some family.

“Tyler is a baller too, he has some dawg in him,” Taisun said of his younger brother. “He’s injured right now, he tore his ACL, but I still think he’s coming down here. He’s a baller, he’s fast, he’s quick and can throw the ball. He’s a smart, smart kid.”

The Phommachanh family is no stranger to injuries this year, with Taisun tearing his Achilles in the Clemson spring game back in April. After a remarkably-fast recovery, he was ready and cleared to play before the first week of the season, a five-month turnaround for a career-threatening injury. Taisun said his younger brother has the same fight in him and will be back from the knee injury in no time.

“He had surgery a couple weeks ago, and I just went through surgery last April,” Taisun said. “I’m just trying to be there mentally for him and make him understand that there’s a physical part to the injury, but also a mental part. He just has to stay up, stay focused and see through that smoke and the adversity. I just try to keep his head up, try to keep him level-headed.”

Injuries are not the only hardship the Phommachanh family has had to deal with the last year. The family lost their house to a fire back in December of 2020. Taisun knows just how important sticking together as a family has been over the last few years.

“It definitely brought me and my family closer together,” Taisun said. “When you go through adversity, it can do two things. It can either make you or break you. I think it brought my family closer, we were already pretty close, but it definitely brought us a lot closer. It makes you appreciate everybody more.”

“I haven’t seen my family in a little while now,” Taisun said of his family traveling down for the game. “Having all my family there and in the stands, all my brothers, my sister and my cousins, it’s going to be a good time. It’s going to feel like high school again. It’s going to bring me back to those days with everybody in the stands, just playing ball. We’re trying to get close to 20 to 30 tickets for the game, we’re going to be deep with Phommachanhs.”