SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. _ Clemson tight end Braden Galloway has been mandated to take five NCAA drug tests since May after being testing positive for a banned substance prior to last year's College Football Playoff, he said Thursday.
But Galloway has also been setting up tests on his own _ approximately 10 to 15 more during the same time frame _ to ensure that his body is clean and nothing unexpected has entered his system.
"Just to make sure that nothing crazy happens, or if something crazy does happen I have a time table of when something could have possibly went wrong," Galloway said Thursday during Clemson's portion of Fiesta Bowl Media Day.
Galloway spoke publicly for the first time since being suspended last December. He will make his return to the field against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Saturday's Fiesta Bowl after sitting out last year's playoff and this year's regular season while serving a 365-day suspension.
"I know I did nothing intentionally to put that in my system. I've taken probably 15 to 20 drug tests since the one I failed and haven't failed any other. And they've been drug-tested by the same company the NCAA uses. So I know I've done nothing wrong," Galloway said. "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."
Clemson searched for answers as to how Galloway and former Tigers Dexter Lawrence and Zach Giella ended up with ostarine in their systems as part of their appeal process with the NCAA this spring but were unable to find any answers. Galloway has a theory as to what happened.
"If I'm to be completely honest I think it was contamination. I'm not a scientist, so I can't really give you that that's where it came from. But I don't think me, Dex and Zach, we never really hung out outside of football, so the only commonality we had was football," Galloway said. "We tested everything in the football facility, all the stuff that they give us. None of us really take anything outside of that."
The one connection the three did have is that Galloway, Lawrence and Giella all had injuries in the spring prior to the 2018 season. Galloway said there "possibly" could be a connection because of that, but Clemson was unable to find any proof.
"It could have possibly happened, but I don't know ... I don't know if they gave us all the same kind of medicine or whatever for different injuries. I know I had my foot, I think Dex had his ankle maybe, and I think maybe Zach had a knee or something. I don't know if they gave us the same kind of medicine for that," Galloway said. "But like I said, we tested literally everything you can think of. We tested vitamins, Advil I was taking just at home ... there's a lot of stuff. They say it can be in anything, so I have no idea."
Now that Galloway is back he immediately becomes Clemson's most talented pass catcher at the tight end position, and he believes he can make an impact during the College Football Playoff.
Galloway was slated to be Clemson's starting tight end in 2019 before the suspension. J.C. Chalk moved into a starting role with Galloway out and enters the playoff with 13 catches for 60 yards on the year.
"Oh, I'm game ready," Galloway said. "The coaches have a plan for that. I trust in them. I believe in their plan. But as soon as my number's called, as soon as my name's called, I'll be ready to go."
When the three players originally failed drug tests last December, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney that they had a "slither" of ostarine in their systems.
Said the Banned Substances Control Group about ostarine: "Because it produces strength gains similar to those of anabolic steroids without unpopular androgenic side effects, the drug has become a prevalent steroid alternative for bodybuilders and athletes."
