Coastal Carolina tight end Scott Fambrough was dismissed from the team Thursday following a driving under the influence arrest early Thursday morning.

Head coach Dave Bennett dismissed Fambrough for a violation of team rules.

"I made this decision because Mr. Fambrough was out after curfew," Bennett said in a statement, "which is a violation of clearly stated team rules. This is not his only violation or brush with the law.

"I am not passing judgment on the guilt or innocence of Mr. Fambrough; I trust in the legal process to do that."

The 21-year-old Fambrough, who was named the Chanticleers' starting tight end this season, was arrested at 2:29 a.m. and charged after officers said they saw his car driving erratically on the U.S. Rte. 17 Bypass.

Officers then reported Fambrough had a strong smell of alcohol, his speech was slurred and he was unsteady. He "did poorly" in a field sobriety test and was taken to the North Myrtle Beach Jail.

Fambrough was released around 9 a.m.

This is his third charge in the past year, including his second DUI.

Fambrough caught 11 passes for 151 yards last season.

This is the third arrest for the Chanticleer football team during the past two weeks. Freshman Jeremy Harden was charged with simple assault following a dorm fight Monday and freshman William Chandler was charged with third degree criminal sexual conduct last week.

Bennett would not comment further on the situation, and said the dismissal will not be a distraction when his team takes on Penn State on Saturday.

"Our focus now is to prepare for a big game on Saturday," Bennett said. "I will not allow the actions of a single player to interfere with our focus."