Baton Rouge, LA – Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has been dismissed from the LSU football program for violation of team policy, head coach Les Miles announced on Friday.
Last season as a sophomore, Mathieu was a Heisman Trophy finalist and won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player.
Miles did not specify the reason for Mathieu's dismissal.
"This is a very difficult day for our team," Miles said at a press conference. "We lose a quality person, teammate and contributor to the program. However, with that being said, we have a standard that our players are held to and when that standard is not met, there are consequences.
"It's hard because we all love Tyrann. We will do what we can as coaches, teammates, and friends to get him on a path where he can have success. We are going to miss him."
Mathieu, nicknamed the "Honey Badger," was suspended one game last year for reportedly failing a drug test.
In 26 games with the Tigers, Mathieu totaled 133 tackles, forced a school- record 11 fumbles and registered four interceptions. He added four touchdowns, two on punt returns and two on fumble returns.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.