state of michigan suspended four football players on Sunday for their involvement in an altercation in the Michigan Stadium tunnel on Saturday night following the team’s loss to Michigan.
Coach Mel Tucker announced linebacker Brown tank topcornerback Khary Crumpsecurity Angelo Grose and defensive end zion young were suspended immediately after reviewing what Tucker said disturbing electronic evidence of the incident.
All four will remain suspended until all investigations are completed. Tucker did not impose discipline for additional student-athletes in the future.
“We are currently working with law enforcement, Michigan State and Michigan campus leaders and the Big Ten Conference to further assess the events in Ann Arbor,” Tucker said in a statement. “Including, but not limited to, additional student-athlete involvement in the altercation and contributing factors.”
The four suspensions came after a Detroit News video emerged showing Brown, Grose and Young assaulting the Wolverines defensive back. Yes’ Den McBurrows in the tunnel after Saturday’s game.
Michigan State Vice President Alan Haller also released a statement, saying they felt it was necessary to take preliminary action and suspend the players based on the alarming evidence provided.
“On behalf of our university and our athletics department, I have been in constant contact with University of Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel and Big Ten conference commissioner Kevin Warren,” he said. Haller said in the statement. “In addition to our Spartan family members to apologize and ensure our cooperation with law enforcement as they investigate the matter.”
Another video surfaced on Sunday showing a Michigan State player swinging a helmet at Michigan defensive back Gem Green in the tunnel. The Spartans player is not identifiable in the video.
Wolverines manager Jim Harbaugh said after the match that two players were assaulted and one player had a potential nose injury but had not been diagnosed. Neither has been publicly identified.
Manuel condemned the incident at the post-match press conference and said he had already been in contact with the Big Ten and Warren.
“The police are also looking into the matter, as they have seen the video and are dealing with it. We will leave it in their hands, but this is not how we should interact after a game,” Manuel said. “This is not how another team should grab a player and do what they did, it’s completely and utterly unacceptable. We’ll let the Big Ten and law enforcement deal with it, but that’s not what a rivalry should be.”
Hours after the game, University of Michigan police released a statement saying they had opened an investigation into the incident.
“University of Michigan Police, in partnership with Michigan State University Police, Michigan Athletics and Michigan Football, are actively reviewing the footage and investigating the post-game incident,” reads the press release. “Situations like these, and the safety of the community, are taken very seriously.”
Sunday evening, the police had not provided an update on the investigation and had made no further comment.