Darren Carrington's time with the Oregon Ducks has come to an end.
"I have visited with Darren Carrington and informed him that he is no longer a member of our program," said coach Willie Taggart in a statement from the school. "We will always consider Darren a Duck and support him in any way we can. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors."
Carrington was arrested earlier this month and charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII). Carrington allegedly collided with a pole while in the drive-thru of a McDonald's at 3 a.m. According to police, an officer received a call about a possibly intoxicated driver and observed Carrington's car making an improper right turn out of the establishment's parking lot.
He was suspended from all team activities following the arrest as the school said it was "continuing to gather facts" about the incident.
The dismissal of Carrington is somewhat of a surprise simply because of how important he was to the offense. Carrington led the Ducks in receiving yards last year, catching 43 passes for 606 yards and five touchdowns.
Still, even if Carrington was an important part of the team, this isn't the first time he's found himself in trouble. He had to sit out Oregon's appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff Championship Game for allegedly failing a NCAA drug test, and was also forced to sit out the first half of the following season because of it. During his suspension, he received an open container citation from the police and was also accused of pushing a grad student and breaking their arm, though no charges were ever filed related to the incident.
