Clemson football defensive tackle Vic Burley was found by police on Aug. 22 asleep in his truck with the engine running at 2:15 a.m. and showed signs of impairment that led to his arrest, according to an incident report posted by Tigers Illustrated, Clemson's On3 website.
Burley was charged with public disorderly conduct and then suspended indefinitely by the Tigers and coach Dabo Swinney.
According to the report, a Clemson Police officer stopped at the scene when he noticed another person, identified as a male Clemson student, lying in the grass next to the truck on Calhoun Drive. The student stated he was waiting for a friend to give him a ride with his fiancée because they both had been drinking. The student said the truck was his friend's.
The police officer knocked on the windows of the car, received no response, but noticed the shoulder of a person asleep in the driver's seat. A second officer arrived, and they opened the driver's side door, where Burley was found asleep. A "strong odor" of marijuana was detected.
The report said Burley did not initially wake up when the door opened, nor when the truck was turned off. But after Burley woke up, he was unsteady on his feet as he got out of the truck, slurred his speech and "seemed disoriented." His eyes were also drooping, he struggled to remove his identification from his wallet and was slow to respond and did not directly answer questions.
Burley also wasn't wearing a left shoe and "was unbothered by the wet roadway."
The truck, according to the report, was not parked evenly in the spot and the rear driver's side was "impeding the public roadway." Officers also discovered, through Clemson's Physical Security Operations Center, that the truck had been parked in that spot since approximately 10:40 p.m.
Burley was placed under arrest, and the truck was searched where a THC vape and Glock 19 handgun were discovered.
The arresting officer also noticed "the odor of an alcoholic beverage within my vehicle" after Burley was transported to the Clemson City Police Department.
Burley was released on personal recognizance on Aug. 22, according to Pickens County court records.
What Dabo Swinney said of Vic Burley's arrestSwinney has not held a press conference since news broke of Burley's arrest and suspension. He released this statement announcing the suspension:
“Earlier today, I was made aware of defensive tackle Vic Burley’s arrest by the Clemson University Police Department for disorderly conduct early Saturday morning. I have made the decision to suspend Vic from our football team indefinitely. We are extremely disappointed by his actions and decisions.”
Clemson, ranked No. 23 in the US LMB Coaches Poll, kicks off the season Sept. 5 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at No. 11 LSU.
Vic Burley statsThe 6-foot-4, 316-pound Burley enters his fourth season with Clemson where he's recorded 24 career tackles in 21 games and one start.
The Warner Robins, Georgia, native, who was a four-star recruit in high school, missed his freshman season with knee injuries and then played eight games as a sophomore in 2024 with nine tackles. Last season, Burley posted 15 tackles with 0.5 tackles for loss and one pass breakup.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Vic Burley arrest details that led to Dabo Swinney suspending Clemson football DT
Leave a Comment