Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham was suspended from the football team indefinitely for a violation of program rules, Tigers coach Gary Pinkel announced Monday.
"It's unfortunate, but it's the right thing to do for our football program, for the athletic department, and also for Dorial," Pinkel said in a statement released by the school. "We have high standards related to the expectations that come along with being a Missouri Tiger and Dorial has not met those recently. Representing Mizzou and our fans is a privilege, and we'll work with him during this process.
"It's been disappointing to have this, and other issues which have taken place lately. It's frustrating, because we work very hard to instill responsibility and discipline in our young men so that our program represents Mizzou the right way. These actions aren't representative of those expectations, and we are addressing these issues head on."
The suspension is the latest in what has been an up-and-down career for Green-Beckham since he arrived in Columbia, Mo., as the nation's top recruit in 2012. Green-Beckham was suspended for Missouri's game vs. Vanderbilt during his freshman year after being arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession and was also was arrested Jan. 10 on a drug charge after police discovered a pound of marijuana in a vehicle he was a passenger in during a routine traffic stop.
A news-leader.com report in February said Green-Beckham had been cooperating with a police investigation more than the two other men arrested in the Jan. 10 incident. Green-Beckham is still part of an ongoing investigation, according to the Kansas City Star.
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Green-Beckham was expected to be the headliner for Missouri's offense as it looks to defend its SEC East title in 2014. He had 883 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore and was already climbing up draft boards as a potential early entry candidate for the 2015 NFL Draft.
Pinkel's statement seemed to open the door to a return to the field if the legal matters were sorted out, but it remains to be seen as to when that could be. The Tigers open the season on Aug. 30 against South Dakota State at home before rounding out the non-conference schedule with Toledo, UCF and Indiana.
Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.