Razorback Report

Hogs end undergoes counseling

Rory Segrest, back, watches on as Darius Philon, left, tries to tackle Tevin Beanum, right, at spring football practice Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said defensive end Tevin Beanum is undergoing mandatory counseling and has some extra disciplinary work to accomplish after his arrest last week, but the sophomore from Forrest City has been allowed to go through team activities.

Beanum was arrested early last Sunday by Fayetteville police and charged with DWI and being a minor in possession of alcohol after a traffic stop. An open bottle of brandy was discovered in his car.

His arrest was the first of an active Arkansas player since Austin Flynn's arrest in early 2013, just after Bielema took the head coaching reins.

"When I got the phone call that he had been arrested, that kind of shocked me," Bielema said. "The good news is I didn't know what to do because it's been forever since we've had any issues. I literally didn't know the protocol for me to go through."

Bielema said he called Beanum's mother, Sandra, who gave him clearance to restrict the use of Beanum's vehicle, other than to drive to the Fred Smith Football Center and go to academic settings.

"If he gets pulled over for running through a stoplight at 10:30 at night, then he's violated my rules and there's going to be an even bigger consequence," Bielema said.

More discipline

Bret Bielema said receiver Jojo Robinson was suspended from team activities last week for an undisclosed reason and that he was being reinstated today to resume the team's eight-week winter conditioning work with teammates on Monday.

"The results this week have been very, very positive," Bielema said. "One of the greatest things you can do is make them aware that this is not a right, this is a privilege to be a part of this."

Bielema said he would take appropriate action if Robinson relapses and that another unnamed player has been suspended for the coming week.

"I told him if he missed another class he was going to be removed, and that's what he did, so he's going to be removed," Bielema said.

Nice view

New running backs coach Jemal Singleton said his film work last season at Oklahoma State included a crossover game against Arkansas.

The tape of Arkansas' game against Texas Tech reflected well on the running backs Singleton inherited. The Razorbacks rushed for 438 yards and seven touchdowns, four by Jonathan Williams, in a 49-28 victory.

Williams ran for 145 yards and averaged 6.6 yards per carry, and Alex Collins ran for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns, including an 84-yarder to clinch the victory, and averaged 7.9 yards per carry.

"You see some things and as you watch it," Singleton said. "Those things kind of stand out to you."

Extended

Bret Bielema's media appearance Thursday was his first since signing a contract extension Feb. 7 that raised his salary to an average of $4 million per year and took his deal through the 2020 season.

Bielema expressed gratitude for "a 7-6 coach" getting a hefty raise and said he was mostly interested in keeping the length of his deal at five years out.

"That's a common question in recruiting, and I knew I was going to be inside that mark at the end of the year," he said. "I think they came to me midway through the year and we just kind of kept working on it, a few finer points and a few details, and it ended up being a huge boost right at the end of recruiting because I knew it was coming.

"So we talked about it in a lot of homes the last couple of weeks of recruiting."

Spring ahead

The date for Arkansas' first practice of the spring had been March 15, but Bret Bielema said he was postponing that for a day because it's Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament, which the Razorbacks men's basketball team is projected to make.

"We might be watching the Razorbacks in an SEC Championship Game, but regardless it'll be a release of the NCAA seeding," Bielema said. "We're going to postpone that date until Monday to get a chance to have full coverage of us on Monday as well."

Health update

A small handful of Razorbacks will be restricted or held out for parts of spring drills.

Cornerback Kevin Richardson had offseason shoulder surgery and will be limited, as will safety Davyon McKinney, who had foot surgery, Bret Bielema said.

Bielema added that offensive tackle Dan Skipper suffered a fractured bone in his hand during the season. The bone has been re-set, and the junior should be ready for spring practice.

Signee Daytrieon Dean of Fort Smith Northside has undergone shoulder surgery and will not be available for spring.

Enos mesh

The transition is continuing for an Arkansas offense that replaced coordinator Jim Chaney and running backs coach Joel Thomas during the winter with Dan Enos and Jemal Singleton, respectively.

"I couldn't be happier," Bret Bielema said when asked how Enos was meshing. "Dan's really brought a lot of energy. It kind of reminds me -- and I'm not trying to tie the two together and expect the same results -- of when I brought in Robb [Smith] about a year ago."

Bielema said much of Enos' terminology and formations that he used at Central Michigan and at other stops in his career have fit easily into Arkansas' offensive blueprint.

"Coach Singleton will actually be a little bit like a guinea pig coming in now," Bielema said. "He's going to learn the formations and the verbiage, and if it kind of jibes with him we figure it will make sense to our players hearing it for the first time as well. I couldn't be happier."

Pro day

The annual pro day testing for departing Arkansas players will be Wednesday at Walker Pavilion and in the weight room.

The testing, closed to the public, will give the Razorbacks who competed in the NFL Scouting Combine -- Trey Flowers, Martrell Spaight, AJ Derby and Darius Philon -- and other seniors, including Brey Cook, Tevin Mitchel, Alan Turner, Braylon Mitchell, Sam Irwin-Hill and others, a chance for NFL personnel to watch them work out.

Coach Bret Bielema said Derby, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee, will be able to run a 40-yard dash for scouts after being unable to at the combine.

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Sports on 03/01/2015