Former Iowa wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos has been cut from the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League.

The former record-breaking Hawkeye is listed on the league’s website as having been "placed on reassignment" on Monday.

Head coach Mike Hohensee told the Des Moines Register that the decision had nothing to do with Johnson-Koulianos’ colorful past; instead, it was a simple football choice.

"He wasn’t catching on as quickly to the indoor game as other receivers … if this was outdoor game, he’d still be here," Hohensee said. "… [There was] never any confrontational situation at all. He was professional in every way. He thanked me and told me he appreciated the opportunity."

Johnson-Koulianos set a then-school record for receiving yards, and he still holds the school’s career-receptions tally. He was named first-team All-Big Ten following his senior season in 2010, making him the first Iowa wideout to earn the honor since Tim Dwight in 1997.

But he didn’t play in the 2010 Insight Bowl following an arrest for drug possession; six of the seven charges were eventually dropped, and he pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana. He was dismissed from the Hawkeyes and wasn’t selected in the 2011 NFL draft.

The Ohio native signed a contract with the Canadian Football League’s Montréal Alouettes in October 2011, and he plans to be with the team when CFL play begins in July. He wasn’t listed on the team’s roster as of Tuesday afternoon.

Johnson-Koulianos declined comment when reached by The Daily Iowan on Tuesday.

— by Seth Roberts