Clemson TE maintains innocence as ban ends

4:05 PM ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Clemson tight end Braden Galloway, who is set to play against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl after serving a one-year suspension for a positive drug test, said in his first comments since the suspension that he did nothing wrong and still has no idea how the banned substance got into his body.

Galloway, starting defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and offensive lineman Zach Giella tested positive last December for trace amounts of ostarine and missed both the playoff semifinal against Notre Dame in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl and the national championship game against Alabama.

Ostarine is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is not legally for sale in the United States.

There have been instances, however, of the drug’s use in supplements without being specifically listed on the label. Galloway is the only player still on the team among the three who were suspended last year. Lawrence left early for the NFL draft, while Giella no longer had eligibility left after the NCAA rejected the school’s appeal of the suspension in May.

“I know I did nothing wrong, so no matter what media outlets say, I know I did nothing intentionally that put that in my system and I’ve taken probably 15-20 drug tests since the one I failed and haven’t failed any other,” Galloway said. “And they’ve been drug-tested by the same company the NCAA uses. So I know I’ve done nothing wrong. I really just put my faith in God every time there’s a drug test. I just hope and pray that nothing crazy happens like this again. I don’t wish this on any player. There’s nothing you can do about it. They want you to tell them how it got in your system, and if you can’t tell them that, they can’t really do anything about it.”

As for how the substance got into his system, Galloway said, “It bothers me whenever there’s NCAA drug testing. I don’t know how it got in my system. Every time I get drug tested I’m nervous for that whole next week. I don’t know if I put something in my system that I just didn’t know about, but we take it very seriously what I put in my body.”

Galloway, a sophomore, spent the entire season as the tight end on the scout team, and credits defensive coordinator Brent Venables for helping him stay motivated throughout the year.

When he gets onto the field for pregame warm-ups, Galloway said, “Obviously there will be nerves going out there. I haven’t played in a year. I know I didn’t do anything wrong, so I am going to go out there and appreciate the opportunity and enjoy the moment.”