EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Troubled Minnesota Vikings running back Onterrio Smith was suspended by the NFL for the entire 2005 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Tuesday's announcement had been expected for several weeks, ever since Vikings head coach Mike Tice suspended Smith indefinitely following an embarrassing run-in at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on April 21, when Smith was stopped after his bag set off a screening device. A search found several vials of dried urine and "The Original Whizzinator," which is marketed as a way to beat drug tests.

Smith told police the gear was for his cousin. He wasn't charged, and the NFL has said possession of the device alone isn't enough to violate league drug policies.

The NFL's statement did not give a specific reason for Smith's suspension.

By The Associated Press