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The Clemson football program will enter the 2019 season as defending national champions. However, they announced on Friday, May 24 that they will be without two players for their upcoming campaign.
Braden Galloway and Zach Giella, who tested positive for Ostarine along with star defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence prior to last year’s College Football Playoff, had their appeals.
As a result, Galloway and Giella will be ineligible to play.
“We are disappointed in the results of the appeal and continue to believe our student-athletes did not knowingly ingest any banned substances. The Athletic Department takes seriously its role in the education, testing and enforcement of supplement and performance-enhancing substances. We will continue to adhere to best practices with respect to supplement use by student-athletes and support the position of the NCAA in its testing for PEDs,” the university said in a statement.
Statement from Clemson: pic.twitter.com/aWpiiEjpr7
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) May 24, 2019
“Student-athletes at Clemson have taken 329 tests for PEDs since 2014, and all results have been negative except for the trace amounts found during the December 2018 tests. The two current student-athletes were tested prior to the December test, including in April and October of 2018 and again in January and February of 2019, and results came back negative for PEDs. Clemson maintains a rigorous education and testing program, and all supplements are reviewed with Clemson Athletics Nutrition and Sports Medicine as well as the Clemson Compliance Office prior to approval for usage to ensure that no banned substances are included in the products.
“In compliance with the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act, Clemson is not authorized to discuss further details of the appeal. Any further questions regarding the appeal should be directed to the student-athletes’ representation.”
The Tigers will open their upcoming campaign against Georgia Tech on August 29.
