One day after talking about his rebound season at a Northwestern press conference, Wildcats running back and kick/punt returner Venric Mark was suspended for the first two games of the 2014 season for violation of team policy. Details of the actual incident are undisclosed. Mark will miss the season opener against California and the following week against Northern Illinois.
Mark is known for being one of Northwestern’s most versatile players. As a junior in 2012, he had 2,166 all-purpose yards, including 1,366 rushing yards. He was granted a fifth year of eligibility in 2014 after sitting out most of the 2013 season with an ankle injury.
Northwestern released a statement from Mark regarding his suspension:
“I made a mistake and am prepared to deal with the consequences of that. There is no one that holds me to a higher standard than the one I hold myself to, so nobody is more disappointed than I am. First and foremost, I feel like I let my teammates down, and that feels the worst.”
The Wildcats primary running back in 2013 was Treyvon Green, who will most likely be the starter during Mark’s absence. Although not a returner, Green rushed for 736 yards on the ground with a 5.4 yards per carry average, as well as scoring eight touchdowns.