Clemson DT D.J. Reader returns to team after leave of absence
Clemson defensive tackle D.J. Reader will return to practice on Monday, head coach Dabo Swinney said Saturday after the Tigers improved to 6-0 with a win over Boston College.
Reader hasn’t played this season after taking a leave of absence a week before the season began due to personal reasons. Reader, a senior, was a projected starter for the Tigers heading into the season.
“He’s going to be back Monday. Found out on Thursday, I believe, that he’s ready to rejoin us. Excited about that,” Swinney said per The Post and Courier. “We’ll get him back to work on Monday. I have no idea what to expect. I haven’t seen him. No idea where he is football-wise. Obviously it’s been a while since he’s practiced, much less played. The team knows he’s coming back, we’re excited to get him back out there to work, and we’ll evaluate him as we go through the week.”
Swinney said he hasn’t spoken much Reader over the past couple months, but said he has remained in school during his time away from the team and is on track to graduate in December.
“I texted with him the other day. That’s about the level of communication we’ve had right now,” Swinney said. “But he’s excited. He’s been focused on what he needs to focus on. Still got a lot of ballgames left, so hopefully he can have a strong, positive finish to his senior season.”
Reader’s father passed away in June. Swinney declined to specify if his father’s death led to Reader’s decision to step away from the team.
The 6-foot-2, 325-pound Reader has appeared in 38 games (four starts) in his Clemson career, totaling 110 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
With Reader away from the team, redshirt sophomore Scott Pagano and true freshman Christian Wilkins have seen the majority of time on defense next to starter Carlos Watkins.
The sixth-ranked Tigers face Miami on the road on Saturday.
For more Clemson news, visit TigerIllustrated.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
