Ohio State defensive end Noah Spence missed the Orange Bowl and will miss the first two games of 2014 after testing positive for Ecstasy, ABC-27 News in Harrisburg, Pa., reported on Tuesday.
Harrisburg is Spence's hometown. The Big Ten announced a three-game suspension for Spence last week for what the conference release called a "performance-enhancing substance."
Spence wasn't with Ohio State at the Orange Bowl. Before the suspension was announced last week, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said Spence was dealing with a personal issue and that the Buckeyes hoped to have him for the game.
The university's statement last week said, "Spence's parents, who did not agree with the rule violation nor the penalty imposed, were assisted by the Ohio State Department of Athletics in exhausting the appeals process that was available to them with the Big Ten."
Per that statement, he'll be eligible to participate in spring practice but not play until Sept. 13 vs. Kent State. Spence led the Buckeyes with eight sacks in 2013 and was named first-team All-Big Ten by the media.
His father, Greg Spence, told ABC-27 that his son tested positive for a small amount of Ecstasy. The family said in the report that Spence unintentionally took the drug when he was given an open drink by people he didn't know at a party.
The report says the family plans to file a lawsuit against the Big Ten.
