Clemson Tigers Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins Suspended
By Rich Lynch
Sammy Watkins was arrested after a routine traffic stop on May 4 when he was found to be in possession of marijuana and two pills for which he did not have a prescription. Both of the charges are misdemeanors in South Carolina. According to the Associated Press, “The 19-year-old Watkins was eligible for a pretrial intervention program as a first-time offender.” The terms of the intervention program are not known at this time.
Watkins, who was voted 2012 pre-season player of the year in the Athletic Coast Conference, was suspended for the first two games of this upcoming season. He is scheduled to the miss the highly publicized and crucial contest against Auburn on Sept. 1. Watkins is benched for the next game against Ball State on Sept. 8, as well.
The Week 1 contest against Auburn is being played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta in a primetime match-up at on ESPN. Watkins is arguably the most talented player on either team, so his suspension will have a major impact on the game.
The opener is important for both schools to get the start on a dream undefeated season and a possible national championship — both are ranked in the pre-season Top 25. Bragging rights are also at stake for the conference of the winning team. Both the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference want to start the season with a win against a good regional opponent.
This is the third straight season CU and AU have met in the early season. The two Tigers split the 2010 and 2011 decisions.