Ohio State Buckeyes dismiss LB K'Vaughan Pope after sideline incident

Ohio State senior linebacker K'Vaughan Pope has been dismissed by the Buckeyes following an incident on Saturday in which he was escorted off the field against Akron, head coach Ryan Day announced Sunday.

"Senior linebacker K'Vaughan Pope has been dismissed from the Ohio State football team," Day said in a news release, per WCMH. "K'Vaughan will continue to have the use of programs that benefit our student-athletes, such as our Student-Athlete Support Services Office, and we will support him with his progress toward graduation. He will remain on scholarship through the duration of this semester."

During Saturday's game against the Zips, Big Ten Network cameras caught Pope storming off the field in the middle of the contest. Lettermen Row reporter Austin Ward reported Saturday that Pope was told by coaches to leave the Ohio State sideline after becoming frustrated for not getting to come on the field for a play. 

Pope walked toward the locker room, but an Ohio State staffer brought him back to the sideline. According to the report, Pope then threw his gloves into the stands and attempted to take off his jersey on the sideline. He was then escorted off the field after a few conversations with coaches.  

In a tweet on Sunday, Pope apologized for his actions, saying he was "going to take this time to reflect and work on my mental well-being."