QB Johnson reinstated at Montana

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Quarterback Jordan Johnson has been reinstated to the Montana football team after his acquittal on a rape charge.

Johnson was dismissed from the team under the UM student-athlete code of conduct after being charged last July with sexual intercourse without consent. He was acquitted Friday by a jury that deliberated for about two hours.

Johnson appealed his suspension from the team over the weekend and is back on the team immediately, school officials said Tuesday. The school's Athletic Conduct Team heard his appeal Monday and university President Royce Engstrom also approved the quarterback's reinstatement, the university said.

Johnson has two years of eligibility remaining and is eligible to participate in spring drills, which begin March 18, athletics director Kent Haslam said Tuesday.

Johnson played as a true freshman. As a sophomore, he passed for 2,400 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for 506 yards and four more scores in leading Montana to an 11-3 record and a spot in the semifinals of the 2011 Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Johnson missed the 2012 season while the charge was pending.