Palmetto Proving Grounds

UPDATE 1:17:

ESPN now on it.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7890488/clemson-tigers-sammy-watkins-faces-drug-related-charges

Clemson star receiver Sammy Watkins was one of two Tiger athletes arrested early Friday on drug-related charges.

Watkins, 18, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and simple possession of marijuana, both misdemeanors. Men's soccer player Amadou-Tidiane Daniel Dia, 18, was charged with simple possession of marijuana.

The two were arrested after police stopped the car Watkins was driving when it scraped against a curb on campus and because the temporary license tag was not illuminated.

The officer smelled marijuana when he pulled the car over in a parking lot of Commons Court, and during a search he found marijuana and two pills that Watkins did not have a prescription for.

After being arrested and taken to the Clemson City Jail, Watkins was released on a $1,620 personal recognizance bond. Dia was released on a $620 personal recognizance bond.

"I am aware of the arrest last night," Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney said in a release. "I am mad and hurt by the poor decision that Sammy Watkins made. He is a good young man who has been a model student, citizen, player and teammate. This is a reminder that good people make poor decisions. But, there are consequences for your actions ... and there will be in this case.

"I am in the process of gathering the facts and discipline will be determined when I have completed that process."

The ACC's rookie of the year in 2011, Watkins burst onto the national scene as a freshman, catching 82 passes for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns during the Tigers' conference-title winning campaign. He added 231 rushing yards on 32 carries.

"I made a mistake last night and I am truly sorry for my actions," Watkins said in a news release. "I let the team down, the coaches down and this university down. I will learn from this. I will accept any discipline coach Swinney and the university issues."

Watkins led the ACC last season in all-purpose yards per game while finishing second in receiving yards per game, second in kickoff return average, third in catches per game and tied for third in touchdowns per game.

"I was made aware of the arrest of these two student-athletes early this morning," Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips said in a release. "From a departmental standpoint I have been in consultation with both coaches today and will continue to over the next few days regarding this situation."

UPDATE 1:06:

http://www.orangeandwhite.com/news/2012/may/04/clemson-football-player-sammy-watkins-arrested-uni/?preventMobileRedirect=1

CLEMSON — Clemson sophomore star wide receiver Sammy Watkins was arrested early Friday morning by the Clemson University Police Department for possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana, the Independent-Mail confirmed today.

Watkins was arrested by the CU Police Department and then booked into the Clemson city jail, Clemson city chief of police Jimmy Dixon told the Independent-Mail. He was released this morning and had a bond hearing at Clemson University court.

Watkins was with Amadou-Tidiane Daniel Dia, a sophomore on Clemson's men's soccer team. Watkins' car was stopped when an officer saw it scrape against a curb on campus; its temporary license tag was not illuminated. When the officer pulled the car over, he smelled marijuana. During a search, the officer found marijuana and two schedule 2 controlled substances which Watkins did not have a prescription for.

They are Adderall and lisdexanfetamine (Vyvanase), both Schedule 2 drugs. Both are prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

The two were arrested and taken to the Clemson City Jail, where they were held overnight. Watkins was released Friday morning on a $1,620 personal recognizance bond, and Dia was released on a $620 personal recognizance bond.

In a statement, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said that he was aware of the arrest and in the "process of gathering facts," and that discipline will be handed down when that process is complete.

"I am mad and hurt by the poor decision that Sammy Watkins made," Swinney said. "He is a good young man who has been a model student, citizen, player and teammate. “This is a reminder that good people make poor decisions. But, there are consequences for your actions...and there will be in this case."

Watkins expressed regret for the arrest in a statement.

"I made a mistake last night and I am truly sorry for my actions. I let the team down, the coaches down and this university down. I will learn from this," he said. "I will accept any discipline Coach Swinney and the university issues.”

Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips also issued a statement on the matter.

"“I was made aware of the arrest of these two student-athletes early this morning," he said. "From a departmental standpoint I have been in consultation with both coaches today and will continue to over the next few days regarding this situation.”

Clemson men's soccer coach Mike Noonan said he was also "disappointed" in Dia.

"I am in the process of collecting the facts in the case involving Amadou Dia," he said. "I am obviously very disappointed. His actions go against the values of the Clemson men’s soccer program and there will be disciplinary action."
Sammy Watkins

Clemson University Police Department

Sammy Watkins

Watkins is one of college football’s top returning offensive players; Heismanpundit.com named him as one of 18 players to watch, along with junior quarterback Tajh Boyd, for the Heisman Trophy.

He set ACC freshman records in yardage, receiving and touchdowns last fall and was a key to Clemson’s first ACC championship since 1991.

He was named as a first-team Associated Press All-American as a specialist, one of only three true freshmen ever to earn that honor.

The other two? Georgia tailback Herschel Walker and Oklahoma tailback Adrian Peterson.

UPDATE 12:33:

According to a copy of the Clemson University Police report we obtained a few minutes ago, Sammy Watkins was arrested for simple possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance schedule II (non-narcotic).

The officer who conducted the traffic stop provided details in the report. Watkins was driving a Cadillac just after midnight with a passenger named Amadou-Tidiane Dia and was pulled over after the officer observed him strike a curb with the vehicle, which had a burned-out tag light and what appeared to be a paper tag.

Officers smelled the scent of marijuana and asked Watkins where it came from. He responded: "No, I just got the car not long ago." Watkins then consented to have the vehicle searched.

Here is the rest of the officer's account in the report:

"Ptl. Roberts asked Watkins if he could pat him down and Watkins consented with Ptl. Roberts asking Watkins what was in his left front pants pocket which was the shape of a pill. Watkins responded that it was Adderal and Vyvanse (schedule II drug) which Watkins confirmed he did not have a prescription for. While standing watching the vehicle search, I, Sgt. Cassell, along with both Watkins and Dia observed Ptl. Roberts pull a brown medicine bottle from behind the carpet in the trunk of the vehicle along with a hand rolled marijuana blunt. After the search of the vehicle, both Watkins and Dia was placed under arrest for simple possession of marijuana. During search incident to arrest, Ptl. Roberts located one baggie of green plant like material believed to be marijuana from Dia's person as Sgt. Cassell was searching Watkins, he stated that he had a baggie on his person whereas Ptl. Roberts located one baggie of green plant like material believed to be marijuana on Watkins' person. Dia advised Sgt. Cassell that he had another baggie on his person whereas Sgt. Cassell located a second baggie of green like material believed to be marijuana on Dia's person."

UPDATE 12:00:

Uh oh. Pot and pills.

Clemson University police arrest two students

Clemson University police arrested two students on drug-related charges early Friday.

Samuel B. Watkins IV, 18, a freshman communication studies major from Fort Myers, Fla., and member of the football team, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and simple possession of marijuana, both misdemeanors.

Amadou-Tidiane Daniel Dia, 18, a freshman in parks, recreation and tourism management from Highlands Ranch, Colo., and member of the men�s soccer team, was charged with simple possession of marijuana.

The men were arrested when police stopped the car Watkins was driving after an officer saw it scrape against a curb on campus and because the temporary license tag was not illuminated. When the officer pulled the car over in a parking lot off Commons Court, he smelled marijuana. During a search he found marijuana and two pills for which Watkins did not have a prescription.

The men were arrested and taken to the Clemson City Jail. Watkins was released Friday morning on a $1,620 personal recognizance bond, and Dia was released on a $620 personal recognizance bond.
http://www2.wspa.com/news/2012/may/04/clemson-star-sammy-watkins-arrested-university-pol-ar-3731114/