Oden dismissed from Razorbacks football team

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/WILLIAM MOORE Arkansas offensive tackle Anthony Oden through drills during spring practice Tuesday, March 30, 2011 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

— Anthony Oden, who was arrested last Saturday and charged with driving while intoxicated for the second time in just more than a year, has been dismissed from Arkansas’ football team, Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino said in a release Friday.

Oden, who was expected to compete for a starting spot on the Arkansas offensive line in 2011, will still receive support from the athletic department, according to the release. The specifics of that support are not known.

Oden, 21, was booked in the Washington County Detention Center last Saturday morning after being arrested by Fayetteville police and charged with a DWI, possession of an illegal substance and other offenses. He was later release on $2,000 bail.

According to the arrest report, Oden was pulled over after crossing the center line and hitting a curb while making a turn at 1:48 a.m. Saturday. Oden did not pull over when the officer flashed his lights, according to the report, and did not immediately pull over when the officer initiated his siren.

Oden came to a stop at the corner of Ash Street and Birch Street in Fayetteville, where, according to the report, the officer detected Oden had “bloodshot watery eyes” and “the odor of an intoxicating beverage”.

A second officer conducted a field sobriety test on Oden, which he failed. He later was administered a blood alcohol test, which came back at .09, above the state limit of .08.

Oden was also found to have K2 on his person, a substance banned under Arkansas law last July. He is the fourth Arkansas player to be arrested on substance possession charges since last October.

The DWI arrest was Oden's second during his career at Arkansas. He was arrested for the same charge on July 4, 2010, and was later suspended for the 2010 season opener against Tennessee Tech.

In addition to the DWI and illegal substance charges, Oden was also charged with driving left of the center line, failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, no proof of ownership, driving on a suspended/revoked driver’s license and no driver’s license.

Oden has a court date scheduled for Aug. 1.

Oden, who started one game in his career, rejoined the team in the spring after having to drop out of classes last fall because of a case of mononucleosis.