Dallas Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick has been suspended by the NFL for four games following a positive test for a banned substance, the team announced on Monday night. The Cowboys have yet to make public when Scandrick tested positive or what substance he tested positive for.
Cowboys CB Orlando Scandrick suspended 4 games after testing positive for banned substance
The Cowboys will be without arguably their best cornerback until Week 5.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
ESPN’s Ed Werder reported on Tuesday morning that Scandrick consumed MDMA, also known as Molly, while drinking a cocktail during a vacation in Mexico:
Source: #Cowboys Orlando Scandrick suspension result of banned substance consumed in cocktail while on Mexican vacation with ex-girlfriend.
— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) August 12, 2014 MDMA is classified as an amphetamine.
UPDATE: Scandrick’s agent, Ron Slavin, confirmed to 105.3 The Fan that the substance was a “recreational drug,” not a PED.
“It was a recreational drug that he had taken when he was on vacation in Mexico back in April,” Slavin said. “If it’s anything, it would not ever help an athlete. When it’s all said and done, it’s a fast-acting stimulant that, the affects afterward make you tired, make you lose your appetite. It’s not a good thing.”
Below is an excerpt from the statement Scandrick released on Tuesday.
Failing a drug test is far out of my character, and although I never knowingly took a performance enhancing drug/banned stimulant while on vacation in Mexico, I take full responsibility for what goes in my body and more importantly for the embarrassment of a failed drug test. It’s my goal by issuing this statement to clear my name and more importantly to be judged by what happens to me in the future.
Scandrick's suspension is a big blow for a Dallas pass defense that struggled last season. Scandrick was arguably the Cowboys' best corner during his sixth season with the team, ending the year with two interceptions, two sacks and 64 combined tackles. Dallas will be relying heavily on Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne while Scandrick is suspended.
Dallas' season begins at home against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. The Cowboys will be on the road for their next two games against the Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams before coming back home to face the high-powered passing offense of the New Orleans Saints. The first game Scandrick will be eligible for will come on Oct. 5 against the Houston Texans.
Scandrick was a fifth round pick out of Boise State in 2008. He has five career interceptions.
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