ACC Football

The football career of Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross is in doubt following news of congenital fusion in the sophomore's spine. However, Ross remains optimistic about his future. 

Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney told ESPN's David M. Hale an X-ray uncovered the condition after Ross suffered an injury during the team's final practice before the coronavirus pandemic forced team activities on hiatus. 

Ross will undergo surgery in Pittsburgh on Friday. Surgeon Dr. David Okonkwo told Swinney he's "optimistic" Ross will be able to return to the field, though the coach said he is "unaware" of any player playing again after this type of procedure.

The wide receiver seems to share his surgeon's outlook: 

Ross burst onto the college scene with a stellar freshman season, notching 46 receptions for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns as Clemson won its second championship in three years. 

In 2019, Ross became a top target of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, hauling in a team-high 66 catches—seven more than teammate Tee Higgins and nearly twice as many as anyone else on the team. Though he finished with 865 yards in his second season, Ross still added another eight touchdowns.

A four-star recruit out of Alabama, according to 247Sports.com, Ross was considered the No. 1 player in the state for the Class of 2018 and the No. 7 wideout in the country at the time of his commitment to Clemson. At 6'4", 205 lbs., the wideout held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State and Notre Dame before choosing the Tigers. 

"He feels perfectly fine," Swinney told Hale, "but doctors know he's at risk."

Swinney says if Ross is able to heal as expected, he'll need to decide between another year of college or testing his luck at the NFL combine.  

Florida State athletic director David Coburn said Thursday that the football team met to address defensive tackle Marvin Wilson saying that head coach Mike Norvell lied about his response to George Floyd's death in Minneapolis last week. 

According to Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press, Coburn called the meeting "open and candid," and added: "I believe we are moving on there."

On Tuesday, Norvell told The Athletic's Tashan Reed that he "went back and forth individually with each player" when asked how he addressed Floyd's death:

Wilson denied Norvell's statement and said he and his teammates would not participate in workouts "until further notice."

In response to Wilson's comments, Norvell released the following statement and apologized for his wording:

Norvell is set to enter his first season as the head coach at FSU after serving as Memphis' head coach from 2016-19.

Wilson took to Instagram on Thursday and posted a video in which he described the meeting. Wilson noted that the team decided to make sure all players are registered to vote in order for their voices to be heard and said they would be participating in fundraisers to help send black kids to college and help children in Tallahassee, Florida, as a whole.

Accompanying the video was a caption that read in part: "I appreciate Coach Norvell for encouraging me to use my platform and speak for what me and teammates believe in."

Floyd died last Monday in police custody when Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes during his arrest. Floyd said he couldn't breathe on multiple occasions, but Chauvin didn't move, and Floyd was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Chauvin was arrested and has since been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The other three officers on the scene were charged with aiding and abetting.

In the wake of Floyd's death, people across the United States have participated in protests against racial inequality and police brutality.

Wilson, who is set to enter his senior season in 2020, is arguably the Seminoles' biggest star on defense. Last season, he set career highs with 44 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in just nine games.

After failing to win more than seven games in each of the past three seasons, Florida State hired Norvell, who went 38-16 in his four seasons at Memphis, including a 12-2 mark and a Cotton Bowl berth last season.

Florida State defensive tackle Marvin Wilson threatened a teamwide boycott of the FSU football program after Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell said he spoke with each player individually about racial injustice, a claim Wilson denies.

Tashan Reed, a former FSU beat writer who covers the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders for The Athletic, denied he misquoted Norvell.

At least two players, offensive tackle Darius Washington and defensive tackle Jamarcus Chatman, appeared to back up Wilson's remarks in their own social media posts.

Norvell, who was hired in December after four years leading the Memphis program, was speaking in response to a question from Reed about the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police custody and the subsequent worldwide protests.

The 38-year-old Texas native previously commented on the situation last Friday:

He also took part in this week's "#blackouttuesday" on social media aimed at supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

Norvell previously worked as an assistant coach at Central Arkansas, his alma mater, Tulsa, Pittsburgh and Arizona State before taking over as the Tigers' head coach in 2016.

Wilson was named a first-team All-ACC selection for the 2019 season after he registered 44 total tackles, five sacks, four passes defended and a forced fumble across nine games as a junior.

Former Clemson tight end D.J. Greenlee said Danny Pearman, an assistant coach, once used a racial slur during a practice.

Greenlee revealed the details of the exchange to Matt Connolly of The State:

"It was just a heated argument during practice, basically. Me and the coach got into it and I was speaking with one of my teammates. He heard me use the N-word basically, and basically tried to correct me by saying the N-word back. He wasn't saying that I was a N-word. It was, using the tone, in a word like, 'OK... I was talking to my teammate and you came over here.'"

Greenlee added that Pearman, who is white, later apologized for using the word.

"Yeah, it happened," he said. "It was a heated time or whatever. I spoke with him after practice. Coach Swinney explained to me what was going on. He said he was going to talk with coach Pearman. I don't know if he did. Coach Pearman apologized. This was three years ago."

Pearman also issued a statement and public apology Tuesday:

Pearman is currently the team's special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. Greenlee said he's since forgiven him.

"He apologized the rest of that season. He knew he was in the wrong," Greenlee said. "You can't hold a grudge against someone forever."

Greenlee commented on the matter after former Clemson walk-on receiver, Kanyon Tuttle, brought it up in response to a Twitter post from Clemson football and head coach Dabo Swinney talking about the killing of George Floyd and the protests happening around the U.S. calling for an end to police brutality:

Swinney has been critiqued in the past for his takes on social and racial issues. When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the playing of the national anthem before San Francisco 49ers games in 2016 to protest police brutality and racial discrimination, Swinney spoke out against that form of protest.

"I don't think it's good to be a distraction to your team," he said, per Aaron Brenner of The Post and Courier. "I don't think it's good to use the team as a platform. I totally disagree with that. Not his protest. But I just think there's a right way to do things. I don't think two wrongs make a right. Never have, never will. I think it just creates more divisiveness, more division."

He also said at the time that "it's so easy to say we have a race problem, but we got a sin problem" and said of political activists, "some of these people need to move to another country."

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney addressed the killing of George Floyd during a press conference Monday. 

Swinney said he and members of the Tigers football program "are all hurting for the Floyd family and our country" and described Floyd's death and instances of police brutality as "disgusting acts of evil." The Athletic's Grace Raynor passed along Swinney's comments:

Derek Chauvin was fired from his job with the Minneapolis Police Department and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after he placed his knee on Floyd's neck and ignored Floyd's pleas that he couldn't breathe while placing him into custody on May 25.

While a number of sports organizations and important figures had issued statements condemning Chauvin's actions and police violence against black people, Swinney hadn't spoken publicly on the matter until Monday.

Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence provided his opinion with a pair of tweets last Friday:

According to Raynor, Swinney said he wanted to listen to other voices speak about Floyd's death before he issued a formal statement.

LeVelle Moton, the men's basketball coach at North Carolina Central, said on ESPN Radio's Sunday Morning he thought college coaches are too often "silent" when it comes to racial injustice despite recruiting black student-athletes to their teams:

Across the country, protesters have gathered to demand an end racial injustice, police violence and systemic racism.

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney told reporters Monday that wide receiver Justyn Ross would need to undergo spinal surgery for a congenital fusion and is expected to miss the entirety of the 2020 season, according to Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press and Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. 

The injury was discovered after Ross missed time in March because of "stinger symptoms":

Swinney added that Ross was "in a great place mentally" despite the injury:

Ross, 20, has been excellent for Clemson the past two seasons, catching 112 passes for 1,865 yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per reception. He would have been Trevor Lawrence's top option in the passing game this upcoming season with Tee Higgins in the NFL.

He's a promising NFL prospect, though his injury status will be closely monitored by teams.

B/R's Matt Miller had Ross No. 21 on his 2021 big board, writing the following:

With Higgins gone and Ross injured, Clemson will turn to Amari Rodgers (30 receptions for 426 yards and four touchdowns last year), Joe Ngata (17 catches for 240 yards and three scores) and Frank Ladson Jr. (nine receptions for 128 yards and three touchdowns). 

The Clemson University athletic department announced Tuesday student-athletes who play football, men's basketball or women's basketball can return to the area June 1 as long as they partake in seven days of social distancing at home.

Voluntary workouts for those sports may resume June 8 after an additional week of quarantine. The student-athletes must complete a physical, which will include a COVID-19 test, before taking part in team activities. They will also be screened daily.

Athletic director Dan Radakovich released a statement about the decision:

"We are encouraged to begin the first step in the implementation of our Phase I planning, and appreciate the leadership of our University in helping us prepare for our student-athletes and staff to return in early June. We are confident in our ability to provide a safe environment and have put our energy into that goal. We're encouraged by the progress and remain vigilant as we begin to welcome a limited number of student-athletes back to our facilities."

Clemson's three-phase process is aimed at a gradual increase in the number of people allowed at the sports teams' facilities.

Phase I is only expected to include medical staff and other people responsible for the treatment of the student-athletes while they prepare for Phase II. Coaches will continue to work remotely until Phase II, though they will only be allowed back in "limited numbers" at the outset.

Phase II and Phase III will slowly include more players and staff members until cleared for full capacity practices and meetings.

"No details regarding fall competition are available at this time," the announcement read.

The NCAA Division I Council voted last week to allow voluntary workouts beginning June 1, but provided no update on fall sports schedules, including the 2020 college football season.

NCAA president Mark Emmert said May 8 it's unlikely college sports would resume until campuses were reopened for all students.

"All of the commissioners and every president that I've talked to is in clear agreement: If you don't have students on campus, you don't have student-athletes on campus," he said. "... If a school doesn't reopen, then they're not going to be playing sports. It's really that simple."

The college football season is scheduled to start Aug. 29. The college basketball campaign typically kicks off in early November.

Former Florida State offensive lineman Jauan Williams was arrested Wednesday in Tallahassee and charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery for allegedly hitting his then-girlfriend on two occasions in 2018, according to Terry Spencer of the Associated Press. 

According to court documents obtained by Spencer, the woman denied being hit at the time, but Tallahassee police said the case was "reopened last year after she contacted police saying Williams had sent her video of her having sex with another man." Police said "she provided photos of bruises and text messages between her and Williams that support her allegations that he did strike her."

"I didn't do anything. I have so much disbelief, so much confusion," Williams told Spencer, saying they argued but it never turned physical. "She is trying to kill my career."

He also said that it would have been obvious to authorities at the time if a 6'7" and 310-pound football player had struck her. 

The woman told police in 2018 that Williams had overturned chairs and tables during their argument, throwing items, but hadn't struck her. But Tallahassee police investigator Charzetta Felton-Stevens said that last year, the woman "told her that Williams had choked her, spit on her and dragged her across the floor."

Additionally, she "shared text messages between her and Williams from that 2018 night where she wrote that she lied to officers about bruises and cuts and hid marijuana from them. The woman texted Williams photos of bruises on her chin, her arms, torso and legs that she accused him of inflicting."

She also told Felton-Stevens that Williams had punched her in the face in a separate altercation.

Williams was released following his arrest on a $500 bond Thursday. 

He is currently in the process of transferring away from Florida State and is no longer a part of the team there, the school told Spencer.

Clemson receiver Justyn Ross will reportedly undergo surgery in early June, according to Grace Raynor of The Athletic. 

Head coach Dabo Swinney last spoke about Ross' neck and shoulder injury in March.

"He got banged up the other day. He's perfectly fine," Swinney said, per Brad Senkiw of Sports Illustrated. "He did all the individuals. They're trying to be precautionary with him because he had some stinger symptoms lingering. He's fine now but they want to make sure there's no bigger issue or anything like that."

Ross led Clemson with 66 catches in 2019, adding 865 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

With Tee Higgins leaving for the NFL, there were high expectations for Ross going into 2020.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller listed the wideout as the No. 21 overall prospect in the 2021 NFL draft class.

His presence is also a significant reason Clemson is considered a top contender to win a title next season. Per Caesars Casino, the Tigers are the current favorites to win the championship with +250 odds ($100 bet wins $250).

If he is forced to miss time, Clemson will be left with limited experience at receiver to help out star quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Amari Rodgers is the only other returning player with more than 20 catches in 2019, finishing his junior year with 30 catches for 426 yards and four touchdowns. Joseph Ngata could also see a significant role after a promising freshman season where he totaled 17 catches for 240 yards and three scores.

The Clemson Tigers spare no expense when it comes to impressing recruits.

According to Grace Raynor of The Athletic, the school spent $85,000 of its "$2 million-plus" annual football budget during its 2019 marquee recruiting weekend of Nov. 15-17 with 11 prospects and their families in attendance. As Raynor noted, "from steakhouse dinners to black car service to a luxury hotel—the Tigers did not skimp."

The Tigers also paid for round-trip plane tickets for the prospects and two of their family members, gave the prospects a tour of its South Carolina campus, gave them lower-level tickets for the home game against Wake Forest, a tour of the team's $55 million facility (which includes "an indoor slide to a barbershop, a nap room, a theater, outdoor amenities and a bowling alley") and a visit to head coach Dabo Swinney's house. 

Between a number of catered lunches and dinners to steakhouses, the recruits and their families were also provided with some swanky options.

That included "BBQ bacon cheddar grilled chicken thighs, jumbo lump crab cakes, grilled ribeye with herb compound, whipped truffle garlic butter mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli and oven-roasted maple butternut squash" at a Saturday lunch and "buttermilk fried chicken, chargrilled oysters with fresh bread, a carving station for brown sugar-cumin-rubbed beef tenderloin, creamy steakhouse macaroni and cheese, red beans and rice and brussels sprouts with parmesan cheese and crispy shallots" at dinner that night. 

Clemson spared no expense, and while the team's success in recent years and a huge operational budget is a flex, proponents of paying college athletes could also point to the $85,000 weekend, the program's $2 million-plus budget and Swinney's $9.3 million annual salary as evidence that FBS programs could more than afford to pay the players.

Not every school has those resources, of course, though most programs receive major windfalls from their conference allegiances. The power conferences (ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12) all split a base football payout of $66 million with member schools, for instance, with additional money coming from bowl appearances. 

And that's just the football portion of the money that comes from a power conference membership:

Clemson's lavish weekend for recruits is just another reminder, then, of the massive money flowing through college athletics, namely football. How and where that money is distributed—and whether the players deserve a direct payout—remains a major point of contention.