Star receiver barred from all team activities after second alcohol-related arrest

Michael Floyd, Notre Dame’s top receiver of a year ago and the school’s all-time leader in career touchdown receptions, has been suspended indefinitely by Notre Dame Football Head Coach Brian Kelly from all team activities.  The action comes as a result of the junior team captain’s second alcohol-related arrest in the past 14 months.

Floyd was stopped by Notre Dame Security Police at 4 am on March 20 for running a stop sign.  After failing three sobriety tests with a recorded blood alcohol content level of .19, over double Indiana’s legal limit of .08, Floyd was arrested and charged for driving under the influence.  The incident comes just over a year after the player was cited for underage drinking in Minneapolis.

Kelly announced Floyd’s suspension on March 21. “Football needs to take a backseat at the moment while Michael gets his life in order,” he said, “and while I don’t know when Michael will be reinstated, it will not happen until Michael demonstrates he has successfully modified his behavior and the legal and university disciplinary matters have run their respective courses.”

Floyd issued his own statement, expressing remorse for his actions.  “I want to apologize to my family, friends, teammates, coaches, the University and the extended Notre Dame family for my behavior this weekend,” he said.  “I absolutely recognize that I have many things to work on to become a better person and will need to regain the trust of all whom I have hurt within my immediate family and the Notre Dame family.”

Floyd will meet with the Office of Residential Life and Housing in the near future to determine if further discipline is warranted.  It is possible that he will be suspended for the fall semester, making him ineligible for the 2011 football season.

In the meantime, Kelly and the Fighting Irish appear to be prepared to move on without their star receiver.  Floyd is not participating in spring practices and his name has been removed from the team roster and team prospectus that was distributed to the media.

“Whether there is an injury or somebody is not with us, our focus is strictly on the guys that are here,” Kelly said.  “We’re preparing our football team through skill development and unit consistency around the guys that are here.  That really hasn’t changed much, in how I go to work every day, whether there’s a suspension or not.”

Even with contingency plans in place, the absence of Floyd on the playing field will be felt.  Voted the team’s 2010 season MVP, Floyd is considered by many analysts to be one of the top wide receivers in the nation.  He chose to put off entering the NFL draft in order to improve his chances of being selected higher in the draft by building off his impressive junior year campaign.

With the possibility of a semester suspension looming, however, Floyd may reconsider postponing his professional career.  Although he could redshirt and maintain a year of eligibility if not allowed to play for the Irish in the fall, he also has the option to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft.  He could transfer to another school and play after sitting out a season, per NCAA rules.  Regardless of what the future ultimately holds for Floyd, it does not appear that he will be on the field with his teammates anytime soon.

Jonathan Liedl is a senior in Dillon Hall.  He wants to invite everyone to come to Arabic Cultural Night on April 1 to watch him get slapped by two girls.  Who said Arab women were repressed?