Well Clemson fans have been waiting all summer…. What was Dabo Swinney going to do about Sammy Watkins arrest for drug related charges back in May?
It was Sammy’s first offense after all. Should he even get suspended? Certainly Swinney could have said “Sammy did everything we asked of him this summer, and is now a full member of the Clemson football team, and will start against the Auburn Tigers.”
I guarantee critics would have said Swinney was soft on discipline, but it would have blown over. Hey Sammy Watkins is arguably the country’s best receiver get him out there against in a marquee prime time game against the Auburn Tigers. You’re trying to build your program Dabo, what are you doing?
Well I applaud Dabo Swinney for taking a stand. Yes college football is big business, but universities are still academic institutions. It’s refreshing to a coach put discipline and a sense of integrity back into their school. It was a tough decision to suspend your team’s best player for one of the biggest games of the season, but Watkins committed a crime. Now the punishment has some teeth, and it proves no player is above discipline in Swinney’s program.
As a Clemson graduate, I hate that Watkins won’t be playing against Auburn. I’ll be at the game and of course I wanted Clemson at full strength, but Swinney did the right thing. It was an appropriate and fair suspension. Watkins will now miss the Auburn and Ball St games, but I hope he has learned this hard lesson and I expect that he has.
