MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Troy Clemons, the Mountaineer mascot for West Virginia University, will remain suspended for a second week before resuming his role during the Nov. 11 road trip to Kansas State.
Trevor Keiss, an Elkins native and the alternate Mountaineer, will serve as mascot for the second consecutive game when West Virginia hosts Iowa State on Saturday.
Clemons, a Greenbrier County native and grad student at WVU, was arrested last week in Monongalia County and charged with driving under the influence.
Clemons released a statement:
“I want to apologize to everyone impacted by the events that transpired Oct. 27, 2017. I am deeply disheartened by my decision and regret letting down West Virginia University, my family, friends, colleagues and myself. I will not let this mistake define me and I will embrace every opportunity to right my wrongs and help others, along with myself, learn from the incident. This is not something that I intend to forget about, rather use it as a tool for betterment. I am sincerely sorry to everyone who has been impacted and appreciate the support I’ve received since last Friday morning. I look forward to continuing to be involved with the state and the university that I love.”
There are conditions surrounding his continued service as the Mountaineer, including a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol-related incidents or arrest. His future as the Mountaineer will also be dependent on the outcome of any student conduct and legal proceedings stemming from the Oct. 27 arrest.
Additionally, Clemons will “work with appropriate University initiatives and service related to alcohol abuse and conduct.”