Clemson Suspends Sammy Watkins for 2 Games
Discipline has been the name of the game in ACC football this past week. A few days ago Florida State starting cornerback Greg Reid was dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules and today star Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins has been suspended for the first two games of the season.
Watkins is a huge part of the Tigers’ offense. He was quarterback Tajh Boyd’s top target in 2011 and Sammy rewarded him handsomely. Last season Watkins caught a school record 82 passes for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. That was enough for him to be named an All-American in his freshman season.
The suspension is due to an arrest in May when he was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney released a statement today saying “I told Sammy this past May that there would be a high end (number of games) and a low end, and it would be up to him as to the length of his suspension.” Swinney went on to say ”He has done everything we have asked and then some, so the two-game suspension is the low end.”
Watkins has accepted the suspension, but this one hurts the Tigers. Clemson’s first game is in the Georgia Dome against Auburn. The final game of the suspension comes against Ball State. Losing Watkins could cost Clemson their first game of the season. He is the ultimate mismatch against any team, his speed and ball skills make him an effective weapon in Clemson’s offense, but the Tiger’s most potent player won’t be on the field. Auburn isn’t the same team it was two years ago behind Heisman winner Cam Newton, but they aren’t a pushover.
If Clemson loses this game a lot of the blame will be on Sammy Watkins and his suspension. The good news for Watkins and the Tigers is that the suspension should have almost no effect on the second game (against Ball State). Clemson will blow out the Cardinals, but keep your eyes on that September 1st matchup with Auburn because losing Sammy could really hurt Clemson.
