Mira, O’Neill Suspended: Positive Tests for Prescription Drug
Two starters on the second-ranked University of Miami football team--star linebacker George Mira Jr. and offensive tackle John O’Neill--were suspended Thursday from the Jan. 1 Orange Bowl game for flunking a National Collegiate Athletic Assn.-administered drug test after taking medication prescribed by a doctor.
“Both George and John violated team policy,” Coach Jimmy Johnson said in a statement released by the university. “The nature of the violations is confidential. We will not reveal them.”
However, The Associated Press learned that the suspensions were the result of NCAA drug tests conducted about two weeks ago.
Mira and O’Neill tested positive for diuretics, a prescription drug that prevents water retention. Many diuretics are on the NCAA’s list of banned drugs.
Mira’s family plans to file suit to overturn the suspension and will call experts to explain his use of the medication, television station WPLG-TV reported Thursday night.
Top-ranked Oklahoma also was tested before the team arrived in Miami last Sunday. The results have not been made public.
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