Mizzou dismisses Dorial Green-Beckham from team after latest brush with law
ST. LOUIS -- The Tigers have had enough of DGB. The University of Missouri announced Friday afternoon that wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, the most highly sought recruit in the country two years ago, has been kicked off the football team.
The school announced the decision was made by coach Gary Pinkel in conjunction with athletics director Mike Alden.
"This decision was made with the best interests of all involved in mind," Pinkel said in a press release. "Dorial's priority going forward needs to be focusing on getting the help he needs. As we have all along, we will continue to do everything we can to assist Dorial and his family. We care deeply about Dorial and his well-being, but hopefully he can benefit from a fresh start."
Green-Beckham's dismissal comes just five days after the school announced the sophomore had been suspended indefinitely for a "violation of team policies" and one day after the Columbia Police Department released a 19-page report that named him as a suspect in an alleged apartment burglary and assault. But that report also indicated that he would not be charged because the alleged victims declined prosecution.
"We have a high standard of conduct for our student-athletes," Alden said in the press release. "Though we provide the resources and mentoring to all of our student-athletes, we are also responsible to the community at large and to the ideals and values of the University of Missouri. We have determined that this was a necessary step for our football team, athletic department, the University and our community."
Green-Beckham's latest brush with the law was his third in his two years as a Missouri Tiger. He had been arrested twice previously in drug-related incidents, in October 2012 in Columbia and then again in early January in his hometown of Springfield, Mo.
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound wide receiver was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation in the Class of 2012 and announced he was signing with Mizzou on a nationally televised ceremony on Signing Day, picking the Tigers over scholarship offers from coast to coast.
Green-Beckham had a breakthrough season on the field last fall when he caught 59 passes for 883 yards and 12 touchdowns as Missouri went 12-2. He set a school record with four touchdown catches in a single game (against Kentucky), and he had six catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the SEC Championship Game against Auburn.
When Green-Beckham was suspended Monday, Pinkel said in a press release: "It's unfortunate, but it's the right thing to do for our football program, for the athletic department, and also for Dorial. ... Representing Mizzou and our fans is a privilege, and we'll work with him during this process."
At that time, there were no public details regarding why Green-Beckham was being suspended, but that information emerged throughout the week leading up to the Columbia Police Department's report Thursday.
The report also said Green-Beckham assaulted an 18-year-old female (a friend of his girlfriend) by pushing "her in the chest with two hands (and) making her fall down at least four stairs." That victim later declined to press charges because, according to the police report, "she was afraid of the media and community backlash since Green-Beckham is a football player for the University of Missouri and is possibly going to be in the NFL draft soon."
The report also contains text messages from Green-Beckham's girlfriend to the victim, asking her not to press charges.
One text message from the girlfriend to the victim said: "Now he's hurting my friends not just me. I really am so sorry you're in this position and I never meant for this to happen."
Another said: "I understand how upset you are. I am too- he drug me out by my kneck (sic) and hurt me too."
Another text from the girlfriend indicated she was hoping to keep the matter private so that Green-Beckham could pursue a football career: "I'm not sticking up for him, but it's the rest of his life. He deserves to pay somehow but without football he really does have nothing. He wouldn't have nothing. He wouldn't make it in a real job. He'd be n (sic) the streets and in prison like his brothers."
You can follow Nate Latsch on Twitter (@natelatsch) or email him at natelatsch@gmail.com.
