Vincent Expected to Play

CLEMSON – Redshirt junior middle linebacker Cortney Vincent was arrested and charged with DUI late Saturday night and had to spend several hours in the Pickens County Detention Center. Even so, he’s expected to play in the football team’s upcoming game in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Vincent’s court date is scheduled for the middle of January, but Tigers head coach Tommy Bowden is expected to announce in a released statement that Vincent, who started all 12 games this season, will play against No. 22 Auburn on New Year’s Eve.

Vincent was stopped on the way home from a party Saturday night for unknown reasons by a South Carolina Highway Patrolman.

According to those familiar with the occurrence, the patrolman asked Vincent if he’d been drinking and Vincent told the officer that he had very little and that he had stopped drinking because he knew he had to drive.

Those same sources said the officer then asked Vincent to step out of the car and undertake a field sobriety test. Vincent complied and passed the test.

But as is the norm, the patrolman wanted Vincent to submit to an on-site breathalyzer. The only problem was he didn’t have one and another patrol car wasn’t readily available to come to the scene and deliver a breathalyzer.

Vincent was then taken to the station to be given his breathalyzer. But upon arrival, Vincent refused to take the test, which automatically means the state views that as an admission of guilt.

Oddly enough, after refusing the breathalyzer, no court ordered blood test was issued, which means there is no evidence that Vincent had a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher.

Vincent is set to fight this charge, sources said.

Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden said Wednesday night there were no disciplinary issues surrounding the team, though he was well aware that Vincent had spent some eight hours in jail.

Bowden said in a statement released Thursday, "I am aware of Cortney Vincent's arrest last weekend. I take the charges against him seriously. I have spoken with him about this matter. We will evaluate his status with the team and determine any appropriate disciplinary action after the legal process runs its course."