Washington permanently suspended from football team
The senior ends his college career with 2,085 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Published Sept. 3, 2010
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Senior tailback Derrick Washington makes a run against Bowling Green on Sept. 12, 2009 in what ended in a 27-20 Tigers win. The Athletics Department announced Washington's permanent suspension from the team Wednesday.
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Senior tailback Derrick Washington was permanently suspended from the Missouri Tigers football program Wednesday, Athletics Department spokesman Chad Moller said in a news release.
"Nothing about this decision will affect his existing athletic scholarship as long as he remains enrolled at Mizzou," Moller said.
Washington was charged with felony sexual assault Tuesday. The assault was reported to have taken place June 19 at Campus View Apartments. Sophomore Kendial Lawrence and redshirt junior De'Vion Moore will take over tailback duties in Washington's absence.
With Washington’s career coming to an early end, the Raymore native finishes 10th all-time for Missouri in rushing yards with 2,085 in his three years as a Tiger. Washington is also the 12th Missouri player to break the 2,000-yard threshold. The senior was regarded as one of the top tailbacks in the Big 12 and was expected to have a career year after losing weight and gaining speed in the offseason.
Despite the many off-the-field problems that have plagued the Tigers in the preseason, coach Gary Pinkel is still confident in the disciplinary process in place.
“We’ve built the program on the discipline that we have, and there are consequences for poor decisions,” Pinkel said. “I’m disappointed, and that’s an understatement. But our program got us to this point, and we’re going to continue to do what we do, and I expect it to clean up, but we have to earn the respect back.”
Pinkel also acknowledged the existence of offseason training to help players avoid conflicts both on and off the field.
“We have a process where we train kids about alcohol, about assault,” Pinkel said. “We don’t just every once and a while bring it up. In the offseason we educate. We’re very good at it -- we're specific and very consistent.”
The Tigers open up the football season Saturday against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
