The Clemson Tigers mascot was found unconscious at a downtown New Orleans hotel this afternoon, and authorities said that while the scene appeared horrific, the beleaguered figure was just sleeping after a long day.
Around 12:05 p.m., the New Orleans Police Department was called to the scene after housekeeping saw the gruesome scene with the unresponsive mascot sprawled over the bed.
“That’s just how he looks, apparently,” said Orleans Parish Coroner Dwight McKenna. “Other than a little sleep deprivation, there is nothing wrong with him… well, medically.”
The Clemson Tigers mascot awoke as the coroner began zipping the body bag, stunning authorities. “That’s just how he looks, apparently,” said a visibly shocked Orleans Parish Coroner Dwight McKenna.
The New Orleans Police Department initially categorized the case as a homicide, according to a preliminary report. That report stated police responded to the scene and found the mascot “lying deceased on the bed from apparent blunt trauma to the face and head.”
The Clemson Tigers mascot awoke as the coroner began zipping the body bag, stunning authorities.
The revised report said the “exhausted” mascot simply came back to his hotel room after the Clemson Tigers lost 42-25 to the LSU Tigers in the NCAA Football 2020 National Championship.
“He was completely drained from all the work he did lately and just wanted to go to sleep. He had not overdosed. He was not dead. No one was murdered other than Clemson itself at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome,” McKenna said.