Arkansas State will be without its most experienced defensive player and a senior wide receiver when it plays Louisiana Tech on Dec. 19 in the New Orleans Bowl.
ASU Coach Blake Anderson announced Thursday that senior defensive end Chris Stone and senior wide receiver Tyler Trosin have been suspended and will not travel with the team when it leaves Tuesday for New Orleans.
The suspensions, which Anderson said in a released statement were for a "violation of team rules," come two days after Stone and Trosin were arrested on drug charges in Jonesboro.
"Our football program has a high standard of conduct all of our players are fully aware of, and not only expected to abide by but also embrace," Anderson said in a statement released through the university. "Our team is a family, and we have emphasized that while building a positive culture within our program. Sadly, two of our family members chose to go down a disappointing path that is highly unacceptable and won't be tolerated by this team."
Stone and Trosin were arrested by ASU police and booked into the Craighead County jail at about 2 a.m. Tuesday for possession of less than two grams of methamphetamine or cocaine, felony possession of drug paraphernalia and furnishing prohibited articles. Both bonded out of jail later Tuesday following a probable cause hearing.
According to an ASU police report, Stone and Trosin were parked in a black Toyota Avalon near ASU's campus when police approached and saw empty alcohol bottles in the car and smelled marijuana. A third passenger, former ASU player Jeremy Fulcher, was charged with possession of a controlled substance after being found to have marijuana, the report said.
A search of Trosin turned up a drinking straw with a white powder on it in his right front pocket, and when asked Trosin said he "had done a little coke," the report said. A further search of the car turned up a white powder substance that field-tested positive for cocaine on the driver's seat where Stone was sitting, the report said.
While being searched at the Craighead County Detention Center, police found two short straws with a white powder residue on Stone, according to the report, and retrieved a small baggie that contained a white powder substance that weighed 0.4 grams from Stone's sock.
Police also found a small bag of white powder that weighed 0.2 grams in the pocket of the shorts Trosin was wearing underneath his pants, according to the report.
The suspensions effectively ends the collegiate careers of both players.
Stone, who was named a second-team All-Sun Belt Conference pick Wednesday, had started 22 consecutive games and 42 during his ASU career. He had 31 tackles (7 1/2 for a loss), 1 1/2 sacks and forced 3 fumbles this season.
Trosin caught 8 passes for 113 yards this season.
"Our players understand that unacceptable actions come with difficult consequences," Anderson said in the statement. "Chris and Tyler will now have to face those consequences."
Sports on 12/11/2015