[Tommy]

Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Vikings have excused running back Onterrio Smith from the team indefinitely and the news might get worse for the troubled back.

Smith, who served a four-game suspension last season for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, is reportedly facing a one-year suspension.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, citing two league sources, reported that Smith has violated the substance-abuse policy for a third time. However, it is not known if he actually tested positive or missed a test, which, under league policy, is the equivalent of a positive test.

Vikings head coach Mike Tice would not comment Thursday, only to say that Smith will not be with the team for the remainder of its offseason program.

"He'll be gone indefinitely," Tice remarked. "I really can't speak about any reasons why or when he'll be back. I think it's in the league's hands and we'll just leave it at that."

Smith has had several off the field issues since coming into the league in 2003, including last month's incident that saw the running back detained at an airport after being caught with a specific mechanism that has a sole purpose of beating drug tests.

The April 21 incident with the "Whizzinator" apparently has nothing to do with the reported suspension, the league sources told the Star-Tribune.

Despite missing the four games last season, Smith still led the Vikings with 544 rushing yards.

Smith was forced to leave the University of Tennessee in 2000 because of off- the-field problems, including reported marijuana use, and ended his college career at Oregon.


05/20 08:30:15 ET

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