Officers found the 21-year-old player asleep in his running truck at 2:15 a.m. on Calhoun Drive, where a police officer initially stopped after noticing another male Clemson student lying in the grass nearby.
Arrest Details and Police Findings
According to the police report posted by Tigers Illustrated, officers discovered Burley asleep in the driver’s seat of his truck with the engine running. Police knocked on the windows without receiving a response before opening the door and detecting a strong odor of marijuana. Burley did not initially wake up when the door opened or when officers turned off the vehicle.
When Burley eventually woke up, officers observed that he was unsteady on his feet, slurred his speech, and seemed disoriented. The report states his eyes were drooping, he struggled to remove his identification from his wallet, and he was slow to respond to direct questions. Officers also noted he was not wearing a left shoe and was unbothered by the wet roadway.
Security footage from Clemson’s Physical Security Operations Center revealed that the truck had been parked in that spot since approximately 10:40 p.m., with the rear driver’s side impeding the public roadway. Following Burley’s arrest, officers searched the vehicle and discovered a THC vape and a Glock 19 handgun. The arresting officer also reported an odor of an alcoholic beverage inside the police vehicle during Burley’s transport to the Clemson City Police Department.
Court records from Pickens County show that Burley was released on personal recognizance on Aug. 22. He was formally charged with public disorderly conduct.
Dabo Swinney Statement and Team Impact
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney announced the disciplinary action through a written statement after news of the arrest broke. Swinney has not held a press conference regarding the incident.
“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,” Swinney said in his statement. “I have made the decision to suspend Vic from our football team indefinitely. We are extremely disappointed by his actions and decisions.”
The suspension comes as No. 23 Clemson prepares to open its season on Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET against No. 11 LSU in a game televised on ABC. Burley, a 6-foot-4, 316-pound junior from Warner Robins, Georgia, was a four-star recruit in high school. After missing his freshman season due to knee injuries, he played eight games as a sophomore in 2024, recording nine tackles. Last season, he added 15 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup over 21 career games and one start.
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