A single penalty can swing a game, and for Maryland, it also ended Dontay Joyner’s afternoon. Against Purdue, the senior defensive back was ejected after a penalty, and cameras saw his emotions get the best of him.

In their game against Purdue, Joyner was disqualified for a personal foul, and he was seen visibly frustrated on the sideline. He was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. A video, shared by DC Reporter Faith Harris, showed him walking on the sidelines; he threw his helmet onto the ground in frustration. It bounced back and was caught by one of his teammates.

This was Joyner’s fourth game back after serving a five-game suspension. Maryland let Joyner onto the squad, but this time it was without Mike Locksley serving as head coach.

His outing ended almost as soon as it began: he got into a scuffle with several Purdue players on the opening drive, drew a penalty from the officials, and was removed from the game just two minutes into the first quarter.

The ejection was the latest setback in a turbulent stretch for Joyner, whose off-field troubles began before the season even started.

Earlier, before the 2026 season commenced, Joyner was reportedly arrested in connection with an incident involving his former girlfriend. He faced two misdemeanor charges. He pleaded guilty to the misuse of telephone communications, and the later charge of electronic communication harassment was dropped.

According to court documents obtained by The Baltimore Sun, prosecutors said Joyner made more than 90 calls in the days before his arrest, and the documents describe threatening messages.

He was sentenced to three years of supervised probation. The judge also mandated that he undergo an assessment by a qualified mental health professional and join an abuse intervention program.

Following the offseason arrest and guilty plea, he mutually parted ways with Maryland, as announced by former coach Locksley. However, in less than a month, Locksley gave him another chance, and the process of his reinstatement started during the team’s preseason preparations.

“Senior defensive back Dontay Joyner has rejoined the Maryland football team,” Maryland’s team spokesperson said. “He is currently enrolled in classes and practicing with the team but will not participate in game action until further notice.”

Joyner was invited back temporarily, not as an active player. At the time, he was only invited to speak. “We feel like Dontay has a support system here at Maryland, which is us, and being here is the best thing for him,” Locksley said the players told him. “We want to take ownership.”

“Sometimes people, especially young people, make mistakes, and the second chance can be life-changing,” Locksley added.

There is no secret that Locksley needed his star defensive player back on the roster after the downfall of Maryland’s performance. Joyner was part of Maryland’s starting defensive lineup for every game in the 2025 season. He recorded 40 defensive stops and caught two interceptions.

One of his interceptions came against Nebraska. After catching the ball, he ran 67 yards in the opposite direction and scored a touchdown for Maryland. He made his debut against Ohio State this season, where he managed four tackles, and he recorded three tackles in their game against Rutgers.