MIAMI, Fla.- The Orange Bowl has already seen a few mishaps, even before the day of the game.
On Tuesday, three Clemson players were sent home for violating team rules.
Reports surfaced that claimed wide receiver Deon Cain, tight end Jay Jay McCullough and kicker Ammon Lakip were sent home for failing to pass a drug test.
At a news conference on Wednesday morning, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney wouldn’t say why the players had been sent home, simply saying they broke team rules.
“You don’t do the right things, there are consequences,” he said.
He said the players who were dismissed forfeited their privilege to play in the playoffs, forcing them to miss out on a great opportunity.
“115 guys on the team, 112 did what they were supposed to, three didn’t,” Swinney said.
During the news conference, Swinney said that McCullough will have the chance to come back to school next week and has an opportunity to move to a different team, but he would not be a member of the Clemson football program.
He said Cain would have the chance to rejoin the team after he ‘grows up.’
“It doesn’t matter who you are or what game it is, if you do the wrong thing, you’re not playing,” Swinney said.
Swinney says the players’ dismissal should not serve as a distraction to the rest of the team since they are not the full-time starters at their positions.
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. (ET) at the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31.