OXNARD, Calif. -- The NFL has suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick for the first four games of the season, the league announced Tuesday.

Scandrick tested positive for MDMA, which is also known as Ecstasy or Molly, league sources told ESPN's Ed Werder.

While MDMA alone would be considered a drug of abuse and would not subject Scandrick to suspension for a first-time positive test, the drug sometimes contains an amphetamine component, which does fall under the league's PED policy and led to Scandrick's punishment.

Scandrick became the 21st player of 104 suspended for performance-enhancing drugs to test positive for MDMA.

Sources told Werder that the violation occurred while Scandrick was vacationing in Mexico with an ex-girlfriend, whom he has claimed persuaded him to add a substance he didn't realize was on the banned list into a cocktail they were drinking.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Scandrick failed a drug test in April and appealed its findings. The league rendered its decision Monday. He will lose approximately $1 million through four missed game checks and a signing bonus repayment.

In a statement released through his agent, Ron Slavin, Scandrick insisted he did not knowingly take a banned substance.

"I would like to apologize to my children, my family, the Jones family, my coaches, my teammates and my fans," Scandrick said in the statement. "Failing a drug test is far out of my character, and although I never knowingly took a performance-enhancing drug/banned stimulant while on vacation in Mexico, I take full responsibility for what goes in my body and more importantly for the embarrassment of a failed drug test. It's my goal by issuing this statement to clear my name and more importantly to be judged by what happens to me in the future.