Notre Dame reinstates star receiver Michael Floyd, presenting tough challenge for Michigan in Week 2
The first night game in Michigan Stadium history just got a little bigger — and a little tougher — for the Michigan football team.
Notre Dame announced today star receiver Michael Floyd has been reinstated and will not miss any game time due to his offseason drunken driving arrest.
Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs reaches for a pass that was tipped into the air by Notre Dame receiver Michael Floyd during the Wolverines' 28-24 win last September. Floyd was reinstated from suspension following a drunken driving arrest and will play when the teams meet again on Sept. 10 at Michigan Stadium.
AnnArbor.com file photo
The All-American had been suspended indefinitely since his March 20 arrest, when he registered a .19 blood-alcohol level.
He later was charged with misdemeanor drunken driving — the third alcohol-related offense of the senior's career — and sentenced to a year of probation.
Notre Dame visits Michigan on Sept. 10 for the first night game in Michigan Stadium’s 85-year history. Kick off is set for 8 p.m., and both teams will wear “legacy” uniforms.
Veteran cornerbacks Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd likely will be charged with matching up against the Fighting Irish’s best receiver. Both are returning from serious injuries, and will face a stiff test in Week 2 of the season.
Floyd led Notre Dame with 79 catches for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns last year. He'll face a Michigan defense that finished 112th in defending the pass last year, and now is learning a new 4-3 scheme.
After recording two catches for 10 yards against Michigan as a freshman in 2008, Floyd broke out with seven catches for 131 yards and one touchdown against the Wolverines in 2009.
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Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said earlier this summer he was treating Floyd’s situation as an “all-in-or-not” deal: Either the receiver would play all 12 games this season, or none of them.
It appears he’ll get another crack at Michigan.
"Michael Floyd has always been, on the field, the 'A' student," Kelly said in an interview posted on Notre Dame's website. "I don't think there's ever been a time that any player on our team would question his dedication to the game of football. What we questioned was if he was making good decisions off the field."
Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.
Comments
golfer
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 2:59 p.m.
DUH! did you think they would keep a star player out of a big game or season. lets see.. march, april, may, june, july and 4 days into aug. not much football during those days. yes they had a few days of it. still think should miss some games.
Blu n Tpa
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 12:38 p.m.
DVB I understand, believe me. If you re-read my post you can see that I have reservation about DS's return. Since I am not on the inside of this I can't tell how Darryl is coping with his guidelines as presented by the University. Mick has the best take on this. Leave it to the coaches since they have the best oversight and there will go the responsibility, besides DS himself, on how with comes out. It really is a tough call for me but as long as he is NOT driving his threat to society is greatly diminished.
David Vande Bunte
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 8:42 p.m.
No worries...I am just a bit of a hardliner when it comes to protecting the image of the program. We have had so many reasons to be embarrassed the past few years, that I just hate it when athletes get in trouble. Michigan has gotten lots of good publicity thanks to the wonderful job coach Hoke, Mattison and Borges have done recruiting, and I hate to see that good publicity partially canceled out with negative publicity regarding athletes getting arrested. We need to restore the reputation of the program. Athletes getting arrested for DUIs doesn't help.
OldBittyBates
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 2:28 a.m.
Daryl Stonum should be given one last chance. Michael Floyd is only being given his third break because the Irish want to brag about beating Michigan (and they can't do that without having their top receiver in the line up). Stonum needs to be offered one last chance, if only to even things up for the big game. Coach Kelly must NOT be allowed a victory reward because of his greedy ways. It's important to make sure Notre Dame loses its flame.
scott
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 12:46 p.m.
Not sure we should look to Brian Kelly to determine our discipline policies, didn't he say some really racist stuff while at central when some black kids got killed? Doesn't seem like he cares much about his players, just looking after himself.
10dz
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 2:16 a.m.
any Michigan fan calling for this player to be suspended should quickly look in the mirror at our wide receiver. Be sure to apply the same logic on both issues.
David Vande Bunte
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 8:30 p.m.
Some of us have...
Mick
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 12:17 a.m.
Kyle, I'm really impressed with your articles and involvement with us fans thus far, thank you greatly. Like Hoke, you're a cut above the previous guy in a big way! I'm not sure where I stand on the Stonum thing, I'm not close enough to the situation to judge I suppose. I'll leave it up to Mr. Hoke to decide, if it's good enough for him than it'll be good enough for me. Is anyone surprised about Floyd, I expected it. We'll still beat them, U-M will be a focused well coached team this year, what a concept. TiM, Go Blue!!!
Blu-dogg97
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 10:21 p.m.
I thought I read somewhere that Stonum was being monitored (alcohol) daily thru the summer..Don't know that to be fact though!! Maybe Mr. Kyle could help us there?
Blu-dogg97
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 10:37 p.m.
Thanks Kyle, great feedback there.. Glad to see he is fulfilling his requirements! Some people have a much harder time kicking/recovering from alcohol addiction,I'm far from an expert,just what I've witnessed throughout life.. Mr. Stonum has some great people in his corner,lets hope he gets this turned around.. even Brady told us he had a heck of a fondness for beer in his college career.. Thanks again Kyle... GO BLUE
Kyle Meinke
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 10:26 p.m.
Blu-dogg97, yes, Stonum is being monitored daily right now. I asked Hoke last weekend about how things were going with Stonum, and Hoke said Stonum had fulfilled every requirement laid out for him so far. I take that to mean he's passed his supervision as well. So, that's all promising news in terms of getting Stonum back on the field. When that will be, though, no one knows. I suspect it won't be for Game 1, though.
dk
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 9:36 p.m.
Terry, two of Floyd's "offenses" were minor in possession charges. Only one was a DUI. Not all "offenses" are created equal. Stonum's two "offenses" were both DUI. I think Stonum's offenses are worse than Floyd's.
scott
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 12:15 a.m.
If you honestly think a 19 year old drinking is as bad as a DUI then no one hear can really change your mind about anything, you win sir....
David Vande Bunte
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 9:42 p.m.
Why is underage drinking any less of a crime than drinking while driving is? Not saying you are wrong, just curious as to your line of thinking.
Terry Star21
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 9:29 p.m.
I am not sure if I have ever seen a 'strike-three' alcohol related offense of a student/athlete deem reinstatement ? Yes, I understand this kid has been otherwise trouble free, academically capable and A+ on the football field. I didn't feel that Stonum, at two infractions deserved another chance unless strict specifications including monitoring were set in place. This decision with Floyd might make coach Hoke's decision a little easier.
David Vande Bunte
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 8:15 p.m.
I am not quite as forgiving towards Stonum as you are Blu... The first DUI, you can chalk up to a young kid doing something stupid. But the second one indicates that Stonum didn't learn the lesson from the first one. I believe your ability to play is a privilege, not a right. If Brady Hoke were to kick Stonum off of the team completely, I wouldn't have the slightest problem with that. I don't care how much impact he may or may not have on the field, I have a real problem with multiple DUI arrests. It shows a lack of understanding about how serious they are. Wearing the Maize and Blue uniform should be reserved for players who are at least intelligent enough to understand the words "designated driver" or "taxi". I understand college students like to partake in alcoholic beverage consumption, and that the life of an athlete sometimes conflicts with good decision making...For one DUI, I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt. But when the behavior is repeated, I lose patience.
Blu n Tpa
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 8:01 p.m.
Floyd even does a better job in the ETOH category. Three times caught unable to handle his ethyl alcohol content while the leading Michigan man is a two time offender. Floyd also had a higher BAC, blowing a nice .19 to DS's .12. How many of Floyd's arrests were on Coach Kelly's watch? (I don't know and the article didn't say.) Does someone in South Bend feel the need to win this year? Big time college football, I'll drink to that. (At home, with remote.) Both of them should play this year, but first they need to appear in a public service announcement during the night game, ND vs UM, and tell everybody how their lives have been on the edge for making really bad choices about drinking. Maybe throw in some video of their arrests. IF, and I not saying Coach Hoke should, DS is put back on the field it would be because he messed up only the one time on BH's watch. The only reason I would even consider giving him another chance is I don't know how DS is dealing with the problem. Good attitude, tons of effort, and doing and saying all the right stuff might win me over. But even one sideways look or even a "red" cup with milk in it, and its "see ya'! TiM Go Blue!