Nebraska RB Maurice Washington 'not part of the team right now'
Nebraska running back Maurice Washington is “not part of the team right now,” according to head coach Scott Frost.
Washington, a sophomore with 298 rushing yards, 162 receiving yards and three total touchdowns, is still listed on Nebraska’s online roster, but Frost said he is not part of the team’s plans “in the immediate future.”
Washington has played all season despite facing a felony charge in California related to an alleged revenge porn case. Frost said Monday that Washington’s absence from the team is not related to his impending court date in December.
“There’s certain standards we ask our players to uphold and when those standards aren’t upheld, it doesn’t matter who it is. They’re not going to be a part of our plans that week or potentially longer,” Frost said at his Monday press conference per Husker Online. “We expect all of our players to conduct themselves in a certain manner and there are certain things that are not negotiable. They have to live up to those standards.”
Frost said Washington, who has twice been held out for parts of games this season, did not practice at all last week, but he believes — “as far as I know” — the running back is still enrolled at the university. Washington played in the Huskers’ most recent game, a 34-7 loss at Minnesota on Oct. 12. The team had a bye last week and will host Indiana at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Frost would not characterize Washington’s absence from the team as an “indefinite suspension.” He said he wants to do everything he can to help his players the way his Nebraska coach, Tom Osborne, did.
“[Osborne] wasn’t quick to crumble kids up and throw them away. Some of the kids that are in some of those situations if they’re gone out of this program, that road doesn’t lead to very many good places. As long as I’m here, I’m going to try to help these young men as much as I can. That’s the promise that I make to their parents when I sit in their living room and I tell them we’re going to try to help them no matter what,” Frost said.
“There’s certain things that they know if they do I’m not going to help them and they’re on their own. I want what’s best for all of these guys. We’re going to try to continue to help them as long as they can be helped. There always comes a point where you have to throw your hands up and say, ‘we tried.’ Until then, we want to do what’s right by them. I think that’s the right thing to do. We’ve certainly tried to do everything we can for Mo and hopefully it works out well.”
Nebraska is 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play heading into Saturday’s game against the Hoosiers.
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