Report: Former Clemson Tiger Derion Kendrick Arrested in Rock Hill

Derion Kendrick, a former Clemson cornerback who was kicked off the team in February, was found asleep in a car with a gun in his lap around 3 a.m. by Rock Hill police officers, court records obtained by The State showed.

Former Clemson football player Derion Kendrick was arrested Friday morning on gun and drug charges, according to a report from The State. 

Kendrick, a senior cornerback who was kicked off the team by head coach Dabo Swinney in February, was found asleep in a car with a gun in his lap around 3 a.m. by Rock Hill police officers, court records obtained by The State showed. He also had a small amount of marijuana, which led to a simple possession charge. 

The gun charge is considered a misdemeanor, and he was taken to the Rock Hill jail, where he appeared in court and was later released on a personal recognizance bond. 

Kendrick, a Rock Hill native, entered the NCAA transfer portal after he no longer appeared on Clemson's official roster on Feb. 28. Swinney said a day later that there wasn't much to say about Kendrick's departure.

"He’s a young man that I’ve always loved as a football player," Swinney said March 1. "He’s got a really good heart. He’s never been a disrespectful young man or anything like that. Just sometimes there just needs to be a change.”

Kendrick, an All-ACC selection, had his run-ins with Swinney during his three-year career. He was suspended for two games in 2020, when he also had Kendrick had 20 tackles, one for loss, six pass breakups, one sack, an interception, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. He played in nine games and was expected to be a starter again in 2021 before leaving the program.