Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk has been dismissed from the team for an undisclosed violation of team rules, which is apparently unrelated to the video that leaked of him snorting a white powder on Monday.
“I met with Maty Mauk this morning and informed him of my decision to permanently dismiss him from the football program,” new Mizzou head coach Barry Odom said in a statement. “When I met with Maty back in December, I wanted to give him an opportunity for a fresh start, but I also made it very clear what our expectations would be moving forward. After gathering information and speaking with a number of individuals this week, it is clear Maty has failed to live up to those expectations by violating team rules in recent weeks.”
Odom believes, as do many now-former teammates, that the video was not recent and from long ago. Former head coach Gary Pinkel suspended Mauk twice this past season, but he was reinstated under Odom on the condition that his behavior turned around to remain in the program.
Mauk issued his own handwritten statement on Twitter, thanking the Missouri football program and its fans for supporting him.
— Maty Mauk © (@MatyMauk_7) January 28, 2016
The redshirt junior led Missouri to the SEC East Title in 2014 as a starter and also started the first four games of the 2015 season before being suspended the first time.
Mauk was not expected to be the incumbent starter heading into spring practices, but his presence would have offered the Tigers more depth at the position as they currently only have two quarterbacks on scholarship. Sophomores Drew Lock and Marvin Zanders remain after junior Eddie Printz announced on Wednesday that he would be transferring.
