SOUTH BEND, IND. (AP) - Notre Dame suspended star wide receiver Michael Floyd indefinitely Monday, a day after he was cited for drunken driving and authorities said his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
Coach Brian Kelly said the suspension will not be lifted until Floyd changes his behavior and both the legal and university discipline procedures run their course.
It was Floyd’s third run-in with the law over alcohol since 2009.
“I’ve spoken to Michael Floyd and his mother and, in light of what took place this past weekend, I let him know he has been suspended indefinitely from football team-related activities,” Kelly said. “Football needs to take a backseat at the moment while Michael gets his life in order. … What’s most important right now is Michael focusing on maturing and developing more as a person while working to improve his decision-making processes.”
Floyd, who is considered Notre Dame’s best offensive player, apologized and said he accepted the punishment.
“I understand the gravity of the decision I made and how it could have had catastrophic effects on myself and others,” he said in a statement released by the university. “I absolutely recognize that I have many things to work on to become a better person and will need to regain the trust of all whom I have hurt within my immediate family and the Notre Dame family. I fully intend to spend the immediate future improving myself to become a better member of our community.”
Floyd was driving a white Cadillac at 3:18 a.m. Sunday when he ran a stop sign about a block from the school’s main entrance, according to a probable cause affidavit from St. Joseph County deputy prosecutor Chris Daniels filed Monday.
Floyd failed three sobriety tests that consisted of a standing on one leg, walking and turning around, and a finger count, Daniels said. The breathalyzer test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19, well above Indiana’s legal limit for driving of 0.08 percent.
Floyd was booked into the county jail in South Bend at 4:06 a.m. Sunday and was released about seven hours later on $500 bond, Sheriff’s Sgt. William Redman said.
According to a Hennepin County District Court spokeswoman, Floyd was cited for underage consumption on May 15, 2009, and pleaded guilty through a hearing officer on June 15 of that year.
Floyd was also cited for underage drinking in Minneapolis on Jan. 8, 2010. Floyd and Minnesota running back Shady Salamon, who were former Cretin-Derham Hall prep teammates in St. Paul, Minn., were cited after police were called to a fight involving six to 10 people.
A month later, Kelly said the team had decided how it would handle the incident, but said he couldn’t say anything further because of privacy laws. The citation is still pending, the Hennepin County spokeswoman said.
Floyd announced in January that he was returning for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft, saying he wanted to earn a degree, return Notre Dame to the top of college football and become the nation’s top receiver.
The 21-year-old Floyd was Notre Dame’s leading receiver last season. He holds the school record for touchdown catches (28) and ranks second in school history in catches (171) and third in receiving yards (2,539).
Spring practices start Wednesday. Floyd is scheduled to appear in court on May 2.
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AP Sports Writer Rick Gano in Chicago and Associated Press Writer Amy Forliti in Minneapolis contributed to this story.
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