In announcing the suspension of wide receiver/track athlete Joe Craig following a domestic incident involving a female member of Clemson’s track team, head coach Dabo Swinney ended his statement by saying that he “cannot comment any further at this time on the details of this specific issue.”
Nearly two months later, there’s really not much clarity when it comes to Craig’s status with the football program, although Swinney sounded cautiously optimistic when discussing the speedy receiver Tuesday.
Ahead of his annual golf outing, Sweeney told reporters that the university’s process is ongoing when it comes to Craig’s status, but that nothing appears to be imminent on that front. At some point this year, however, Swinney hopes to welcome the receiver back to the program.
“He’s going through the process we have at the university,” Swinney said according to Greg Wallace of the Anderson Independent-Mail. “The hope is that we’ll get him back, but nothing in the immediate future. ...
“I’m hopeful that we’ll get him back by the time school starts. And he’ll have some team discipline that he’ll do.”
Craig was on the receiving end of a swipe from a “lethal cutting weapon” by the female track member and suffered a significant laceration in his left triceps area during the late-May incident. The female was allegedly fearful for her safety after Craig allegedly repeatedly beat on the door of her residence with a silver towel rod.
Craig was suspended by Swinney roughly two weeks after that incident. He had previously been suspended by the track team.
A three-star member of Clemson’s 2010 recruiting class, Craig will be a redshirt freshman in 2011.