ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions appear to be sending a message to 22-year-old receiver Titus Young by banning him from the team's practice facility following his fight with a teammate.
Young didn't participate in an organized workout Monday after he allegedly sucker-punched safety Louis Delmas during an off-field workout last week, according to MLive.com.
Delmas practiced Monday but was not available for comment.
Young is a talented player, but his maturity occasionally has been questioned. After he committed a costly personal-foul penalty in a regular-season game at New Orleans last season, Young was chewed out by center Dominic Raiola and benched by coach Jim Schwartz.
Schwartz didn't comment on why Young was one of the players absent from Monday's voluntary workout.
Defensive end Cliff Avril, who also didn't practice because of his ongoing negotiations for a long-term contract, made a statement via Twitter. "Things happen," Avril wrote in reference to the Young-Delmas incident. "They will be fine."
Young (5-foot-11, 174 pounds) finished with 48 receptions for 607 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie year. Much of his production came in the second half of the season, raising expectations for this year.
The Lions, however, selected another receiver, Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles, in the second round of the NFL Draft last month. Patrick Edwards, an undrafted free agent from Houston, is also working out with the team.
Football teammates getting into fights is nothing new, but the Lions clearly felt that Young needed to learn something from this one.
It was not clear exactly how long Young will be forced to miss.
TULLOCH OUT
Others who weren't on the field for the voluntary workout included linebacker Stephen Tulloch, safety Amari Spievey and linebacker DeAndre Levy.
Schwartz confirmed that Tulloch likely won't be available for the rest of the month. The linebacker received an injection for knee tendinitis.
"We're just trying to get it settled down," Schwartz said. "There's been no surgery. We don't anticipate that."
No explanation was given for the absences of Spievey and Levy.
LESHOURE IS BACK
Nobody was happier to be back on the football field more than running back Mikel Leshoure.
"I'm back," he yelled to teammates.
Leshoure, a second-round draft pick a year ago, missed all of his rookie season after suffering a torn Achilles' tendon early in training camp.
Leshoure sat out portions of the practice, but he did take part in some of the position drills.
"I'm good mentally," Leshoure said afterward. "Physically, I'm feeling good as well. Confidence is growing. Plenty of time before the season, but I know I'll be ready to roll."
Leshoure addressed his off-the-field issues for the first time since he was arrested twice on charges of marijuana possession.
"You live and you learn," he said. "Everybody makes mistakes. It's what you do after it and how you overcome those hurdles. I feel like I've learned and I'm making the best of my opportunities.
"I just need to be aware of my surroundings and what's going on and just be smarter, make better decisions."
EXTRA POINTS
• Running back Jahvid Best, who is trying to make a comeback from concussion problems, was able to participate fully because it was a no-contact practice and players were not in full pads.
"Physically, he looks very good," Schwartz said. "Looks a lot like when we last saw him on the field for us."
The Lions are hoping Best will be cleared for contact before training camp begins in August.
• Broyles was on the field running routes and catching passes. He is coming off of surgery last November for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
"He's doing a little different pace than the rest of the guys," Schwartz said. "He's still not full speed.
"You're not going to see him competing against any defensive backs and things like that (during OTA workouts). But he's had a very good rehab. We're expecting a contribution from him this year."
• Defensive end Ndamukong Suh, on why he decided to appear on the new reality TV dating show "The Choice," which debuts June 7 on FOX: "You'll just have to wait and see. There's no particular rhyme or reason why I went on it. It was some fun, outgoing, I enjoyed it."
• Receiver Calvin Johnson, on hitting a home run while taking batting practice last week at Comerica Park: "That was my first love, baseball. I still got it a little bit."
