Michigan starting tailback Fitz Toussaint suspended after drunken-driving arrest
Michigan tailback Fitz Toussaint ran for more than 1,000 yards last year as a sophomore. He was arrested over the weekend on a drunken driving charge.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
Starting tailback Fitz Toussaint has been suspended indefinitely from the Michigan football team after his weekend arrest on suspicion of drunken driving.
"Fitz made a poor decision and has been suspended indefinitely because of that action," Michigan coach Brady Hoke said in a statement. "There are expectations that come with being a football student-athlete at the University of Michigan and those responsibilities were not met in this instance.
"We will use this as an opportunity to educate Fitz and make sure he understands the high standards that we have established within our program."
The suspension is a blow for the Wolverines. Toussaint ran for 1,041 yards last season, becoming the first Michigan tailback to cross the 1,000-yard mark since Mike Hart in 2007.
He is expected to be an integral component to the team's run-heavy offense this year, including as its featured back.
Compounding matters is Michigan opens the season against Alabama, which featured the No. 1 defense in the country last year. It's unclear whether Toussaint's suspension will cost him game time, but if it does, his absence could prove costly.
Toussaint was stopped in a white Ford F-150 pickup truck that ran a red light at South Forest and Washtenaw avenues at 11:45 p.m. Saturday night in downtown Ann Arbor. , police said in a press release.
Saline police were in the area with multiple other agencies for what is known as "high visibility enforcement," said Det. Don Lupi of the Saline Police Department.
Toussaint's breath test showed a blood-alcohol content above the legal Michigan limit of .08 percent. Toussaint was taken to the Saline Police Department, where he was given another test to determine his blood alcohol content, which was .12 percent, Saline police said in a press release. He was lodged until Sunday morning at the police department when he was released on a personal recognizance bond, Lupi said.
"(Prosecutors) will be reviewing the incident and choosing the appropriate charge," Lupi said.
Crime reporter John Counts contributed to this story.
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
Tom
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 12:38 a.m.
"60 more minutes of unnecessary drinking" - Brady Hoke
Tom
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 12:35 a.m.
Fitz can run a red light. He just can't get anywhere against Michigan State! There is no threat!
Greg
Wed, Jul 25, 2012 : 4:37 p.m.
Maybe Brady should consider trying to recruit Silas Redd from Penn State since Fitz is now suspended from the team.
RWBill
Wed, Jul 25, 2012 : 12:27 a.m.
From the top of the page - "Michigan football players (Denard Robinson and Fitz Toussaint) on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, given to the most outstanding college football player in America. Story" ยป- They can scratch Fitz off that list. Didn't last long.
Old Salt
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 6:02 p.m.
When they say suspended does that mean until the season begins ?
unclefred
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 4:41 p.m.
So lets think about this. Michigan has a published policy relating to failing a drug test. It was written up either here or on the freep a few months ago. My memory is vague but as I remember it a first offense required missing something like one third of the season. That is probably a baseline for an absolute minimum penalty. However a DUI is more serious than simply failing a drug test. Fitz allegedly blew a .12. While over the limit, I doubt very much that his actual driving was very much impaired. We don't know the exact circumstances of his running the red light. Perhaps he "blew through" the light as someone commented, but given the intersection in question it is more likely that he "crowded" the yellow and caught the red directly in front of a police officer. Please let's not get overly dramatic about "at least he did not kill anyone" the DUI is serious enough, without spinning things up over possible consequences that never happened. We punish people for their actions and the consequences of those action, not what might have happened. As far as I know, this is the first "first offense DUI" with which Hoke has had to deal. The Stonum case is very different. Assuming that the test that established his BAC of .12 is valid (as small but significant percentage of these are found to be incorrect when the defendant's dual sample is retested) I'd say that at minimum he should be suspended from practice, including fall camp, and games for at least 6 games. That said I'd be fine with Hoke suspending him for 3 up to the entire season. As for this reflecting on Hoke. A close friend of mine is a coaches an equally "physical" men's sport. He has a very tough policy on this type of behavior and adheres to an absolute standard in enforcing it. Even so he has on average 3-5 instances like this every season (from a smaller player pool). His attitude is you explain the rules and the player is responsible for adherence. What ref
Lac Court Orilles
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 12:58 p.m.
There seems to be a trend amongst the better coaches of having less tolerance for bad behavior. This is a good sign because all of college football suffered a blow to their collective image from the lack of integrity from the Penn State child molestation incident. Now if we can get our Michigan State House to surgically remove liars and true criminals Jase Bolger and Roy Schmidt we can begin to demonstrate to the youth that we are serious about character and integrity.
trespass
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 11:07 a.m.
What is the punishment under the student code of conduct for minor in possession and DUI? Will the foootball players ever be punished under the same rules as other students or is this like the catholic church who thinks they should discipline their own?
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 10:36 a.m.
Tattoo it on the football players arms when they come in on their scholarships: You booze, you lose.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 10:35 a.m.
Never mind the football stuff. I'm wondering what the Saline police were doing patrolling an Ann Arbor intersection? How did they get involved?
Blue Marker
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 12:56 p.m.
All the answers are there if you......actually read the article.
FRED
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 6:34 a.m.
1. Is Toussaint of legal drinking age? 2. Where was Toussaint drinking at? 3. Who was Toiussaint with and why didn't they do anything to stop him? It is easy to say that Toussaint is responsible for his actions. It is easy to gloss over the fact that Toussaint is a young man as young man will make mistakes. As the Penn State tragedy has shown, if people failed to do what is necessary to stop the wrong, people are no better than the person committing the crime. People around Toussaint that night are just as responsible for the infraction.
Ed Kimball
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:46 p.m.
According to Wikipedia, he turned 22 in May. So he is old enough to drink -- and old enough to know not to drive after doing so.
AfterDark
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 5:01 a.m.
How many players on the team are 21 or over? Is Toussaint?
towncryer
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 3:11 p.m.
I've seen several downtown who are definitely not 21 in bars like Ricks and Buffalo Wild Wings.
snoopdog
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 3:53 a.m.
This guy blows a red light and gets pulled over miles later. At least no one got hurt or killed. I hope he gets kicked off the team and moves on, he had better lose any scholarship he had. This business of protecting these spoiled brats is disgusting. Good Day
Are you serious?
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:30 p.m.
Unless I misread the story there was some kind of concentrated enforcement on the campus and he was arrested right there in AA. Because the Saline PD made the stop they get the credit for the arrest. That is why he went to the Saline PD for breath test, etc.
stunhsif
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 3:44 a.m.
Run a red light in "downtown A2" and then get busted by the Saline police ? You be in big trouble as you was on the run for at least 6 miles with multiple calls for runnin, heard it on the bearcat ! Get pulled over in the Saline area and you be blowin a .12 ? Bad for the Wolverinettes for sure ! Many talk of cheap shots by the MSU football players but what could have happened here be puttin things in perspective eh ? Go Green Go White
Goofus
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:51 a.m.
I think we could almost start a ragtag trio of Stonum, Toussaint, and Forcier in an alternate universe version of UM's squad.
Tom
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:45 a.m.
He won't miss a game. At least it wasn't a home invasion. Great week for Hoke's Heroes! Where's the threat?
Madeleine Borthwick
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 5:20 p.m.
Tom----are you kidding? would you be saying this if it was someone close to you that got injured or killed because of someone's drunk driving? a drunk driver IS a threat to everyone on the road. just a reminder.
Mick52
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:41 a.m.
Great timing the day the PSU penalties come out. Every college President now knows about keeping your program sparkling clean. And this involving a top player, it sets the standard for further DUIs by any other player.
I like Chicken
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 12:14 a.m.
I guess the summer allows the MI football players time to forget what is happening around them. I don't think it will matter much. Alabama will shut them down.
GoBlue1984
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 12:07 a.m.
In the past we would blame Rich Rodriguez right now... so do we still blame him or have we moved to Brady Hoke yet?
heartbreakM
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 2:02 a.m.
I don't think this is a Hoke or former coach problem (though Hoke certainly has to have some heat directed his way as the numbers of problems are way too high). I hope that he will handle it, though if he is bald by football season, we'll know why. Though college students do "dumb things", at some point, their leader must shoulder some blame if there is a pattern.
7718
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:54 a.m.
Everything that happens bad with these players are RRs fault, but anything good these players do (BCS game) will not be credited to RR. In many of these posters eyes Hoke CANNOT do anything wrong, so he'll be given a pass.
JRW
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : midnight
Kudos to Hoke for holding Toussaint accountable for his actions. Not many individuals in positions of authority today are holding young adults to any standards, let alone higher standards. I'm very glad to see the coach put him up as an example to the rest of the team, and I'm glad to see that "winning" at any cost isn't the driving force for UM athletics.
Tom
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 12:28 a.m.
JRW - Winning at all costs most certainly is the driving force for UM athletics. The problem is that they don't win anything! Where's the threat?
Are you serious?
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 11:46 p.m.
He probably won't even be formally charged for several weeks. After that the first event is a pre-trial or a pretrial/arraingment. He will more than likely be offered a plea to impaired which is the normal plea for a first offense. There will then be a pre-sentence interview. After that there is a sentencing date. Probably not sentenced until late September at the earliest.
Are you serious?
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:27 p.m.
Mick52 - Guess I was not direct enough. All I'm saying is that this will not be resolved for quite a while and he will certainly miss several games before a resolution. I was in no way condoning anything he did. I'm in favor of a year hard suspension. I strongly doubt that he will fight the case or get anything less than an impaired plea.
Mick52
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:47 a.m.
Yeah? So what? Your point is what? Are you suggesting Michigan adopt the old MSU standard, "We'll see what happens in court?" I don't know if even MSU does that. I got news for you. There is no question that Toussaint was drunk and driving. Even if for some technical reason the case is thrown out, or a jury of uber Michigan fans acquits him, he was still driving a car while drunk. Unless this is a case of mistaken identity or this is the other Fitz Toussaint, as long as he was driving drunk he broke the law. Acquittal does not always mean he didn't do it.
Frustrated in A2
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 11:23 p.m.
Right or wrong I doubt he'll miss any game time.
Frustrated in A2
Fri, Jul 27, 2012 : 3:23 p.m.
That is also a good point.
Mick52
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:48 a.m.
Think so? That would mean that in the future no first time offender football players could be suspended.
Terry Star21
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 11:04 p.m.
Fitz should not be allowed back on this team. No excuses, no easing up, no 'he's just a young kid- crap. He's an adult. Being a Michigan football player is the highest honor in the country and it comes with the highest expectations, highest respect and highest personal commitment. He failed. Yes he will learn from this, but as others mentioned why didn't he walk, get a ride, call a taxi,etc. - absolutely NO excuse. Sorry Howard, no cheering up today. Goofus, your school is still Michigan State Penitentiary, that can never change. MgoBlueForTiM...I've been punched in the gut, pounded in the face and I'm down and out......
Wally the Wolverine
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 2:35 a.m.
Highest honor in the country? Let's watch the hyperbole. I'll reserve that honor for those that put on this country's uniform.
GoNavy
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 11 p.m.
No worries fellas - Mr. Toussaint only blew through one of the busiest pedestrian intersections (S. Forest & Washtenaw) in all of Ann Arbor, during a time when many undergraduates are out and about in the area, so the sooner he can get back to the business of running around with a ball, the better off EVERYBODY on campus will be. Based on the ludicrous commentary discussing the "real" issue here - which is the impact of this arrest on everybody's Saturdays and ensuing Monday office discussions, I can see how the Jerry Sandusky thing went as far as it did.
Jaxon5
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:50 p.m.
Apparently, FT did not hear the speech, "the team, the team, the team". He heard "me, me, me". The team should not have time or the patience for this kind of behavior. Let's get the next back ready to go, and focus on the next player in line.
Hookemhorn
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 11:05 p.m.
For once, Jaxon, I agree with you!
Hookemhorn
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:44 p.m.
Yep, no excuse at least a 2 game suspension for Fitz & Frank Clark!! Very selfish of both of them!!
Goofus
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:23 p.m.
...here that noise....that's the sound of the moral highground collapsing around Wolverine Nation. let's not hear any more cheapshots at the MSU program's ruffians, shall we?
Hookemhorn
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:48 p.m.
Ummm....excuse me but I have not seen any Wolverine fans saying let them off easy, actually I've seen the contrary, Michigan fans are calling for the suspension of both players!
Hailmary
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:46 p.m.
I think it's good Goofy that folks talk about moral obligations and your insinuation is right, none of us is perfect. We need to pound moral obligation into our kids heads as obviously indicated be the days news.
saveferris
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:41 p.m.
Dear UM, I would like to apply for the postion of Minister Of Arrest Prevention For Football Players. My qualifications? I have never been arrested for blocking a sidewalk, home invasion or DUI.
Scott
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:27 p.m.
Never been arrested? What are you Canadian?
umgoblue47
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:41 p.m.
just plain DUMB!! i really like FITZ, but RAWLS diserves to be the starting TB in the fall!! if FITZ is still on the team, depending on the outcome of the court hearing, he will have to EARN a chance at playing again. coach HOKE will do the right thing. GO BLUE!!!
Alan Goldsmith
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:35 p.m.
From ESPN: "Clark joins a growing list of Michigan football players who have been arrested and charged with crimes in 2012, including starting running back Fitzgerald Toussaint (DUI), former receiver Darryl Stonum (dismissed from the team after violating probation stemming from his second drunken driving arrest), receiver Jerald Robinson (misdemeanor destruction of property) and starting defensive tackle William Campbell (misdemeanor destruction of property)."
Chase Ingersoll
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:24 p.m.
It's not the dumbness of a gifted athlete that results in this behavior, it is the hubris.
Chase Ingersoll
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:22 p.m.
Willfully engaging in a behavior that can end the life of another individual, must be addressed by altering the lifestyle of the person engaging in the behavior. Michigan can always find another 1000 yard tailback, but who can find another son or daughter lost to a DUI? It's nothing personal and you don't have to get angry about it. You just have to let the consequences speak for themselves and hope they are severe enough for the recipient to never again engage in behavior that has the potential to kill them.
SalineSara
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:08 p.m.
Hmmm so the cops had the trap set up. Keep in mind .12 is 3-4 beers and about 50% of drivers are at that level on a Saturday night. Why doesn't Lupi hang out at Mac's and Brecon Grille? Oh, that would be "picking" on the locals.
SalineBob
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 2:17 a.m.
Sara--trust me in that the Saline Police are doing a fine job on keeping their eyes on the locals as well.
Are you serious?
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 11:39 p.m.
4 in two hours = 0.056 8 in four hours = 0.11 http://bloodalcoholcalculator.org/#LinkURL
Scott
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:25 p.m.
are the 50% also running red lights too?
trespass
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:57 p.m.
0.08 for a man his size is at least 3 beers but only if he drinks them all at once. He will metabolize about one beer per hour. Therefore if he drinks 5 beers in 2 hours he will be about 0.08.
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:31 p.m.
If 50% of the drivers are over .12, then the highways would look like a carnival full of bumper cars. He ran a red light, and he was 50% over the legal limit - which extensive testing shows decreases your ability to drive. He needs to take responsibility for this. I don't think it should mean a lengthy suspension, but it needs to get his attention and the attention of others who think such silly thoughts as 50% of the drivers on a Saturday night are 50% over the legal limit.
heartbreakM
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:13 p.m.
Are you actually rationalizing drinking and driving? Is Fitz even legal to drink? I don't know his age. It's easy--there are "maize and blue" taxis ALL over town, to take you whereever you want. And it's not like he is spending his money on tuition. Anyone still want to talk about athletes deserving to get paid now?
Veracity
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9 p.m.
Silas Redd, the present Penn State tailback, may wish to transfer to another school. Would he consider coming to Ann Arbor and replacing Fitz? Would Brady Hoke offer him a scholarship?
Macabre Sunset
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:58 p.m.
First offense, he misses the first half of the Alabama game. But you'd better believe this is a mark on his NFL draft resume. It will end up costing him hundreds of thousands in his first NFL contract.
Mick52
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 3:43 a.m.
No it won't. Whatever NFL team picks him will pay him based on his performance before he is selected. If he is the first running back selected or the 20th, they are not going to deduct hundreds of thousands from his contract.
Hailmary
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:29 p.m.
And maybe make him think twice and not kill some innocent person with his reckless drunken driving.
ekimecir
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:50 p.m.
My guess is that he will return for the opening of the conference schedule. Go Bucks!
sandokan
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:38 p.m.
He probably got too exided of the Big Ten Title Michigan won this year. Lol
Hailmary
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:27 p.m.
No sandokan, he got drunk and drove, that's what he got.
Scott
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:23 p.m.
Don't make fun of him, he probably took all shop and special ed. classes at Moo U. Now successfully living in a van down by the river.
Hookemhorn
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:11 p.m.
That's a Sparty grad for you!
sandokan
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:40 p.m.
Exited
GetRealA2
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:38 p.m.
In spite of all of the Snooze's recent nonsensical "What's the over/under . . ." questions regarding the footballers, someone forgot the one with 0.08 as the midpoint.
oldguy
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:34 p.m.
So Fitz moves from the Doak Walker Award watch list to the AA watch list. Sad
Hailmary
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:26 p.m.
Well, he hasn't killed anyone yet with his drunken driving so maybe that Doak Walker Award will go to the person with the best, "Common Sense" this year.
oldguy
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:17 p.m.
Should be totally suspended (not allowed to practice with team) until his case is settled. If convicted, he`s off the team for good. Good luck in the future Fitz, but please THINK in the future.
A2D2
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:10 p.m.
Well, that was pretty dumb......but then again, being able to run fast and jump high doesn't make him smart!
Veracity
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:54 p.m.
If he can not remember his coaches' instructions then he does not belong on the team and probably not in college either.
ArthGuinness
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:55 p.m.
This is not the news I was looking forward to today. Tough blow, but I think he's got to miss some games. We can pretend that others will learn from his mistake, but Fitz didn't learn anything from Stonum, who didn't learn anything from whoever got it trouble before that.
Hailmary
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:22 p.m.
ArthGuinness, how about you, did you learn anything, I did. I always try to learn something from other peoples mistakes and the day I don't I imagine I'll no longer be above ground. That's my take on the issue.
heartbreakM
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:46 p.m.
Bo used to say that nothing good happens after 10 at night. Seems to be right yet again. And yet, this is another example of how alcohol has been involved with poor (and potentially deadly) decision making. While I am upset about this as he is receiving a scholarship and is a representative of sorts of our university, I think this speaks to a larger problem of how much alcohol abuse is pervasive on college campuses and how much education we all need. Still. Despite the decades. Shame for Fitz, but I hope that Hoke suspends him for the year. And he should have his license revoked for a long time.
trespass
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:44 p.m.
Was he driving his own car? Stonum kept getting picked up in different cars. Hoke needs to be careful about new NCAA violations. In Stonum's case he was put on early morning conditioning work outs as punishment, which is an NCAA violation. Don't do that again with Toussaint.
ranger007
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:42 p.m.
The lions will be calling soon.
mookienation
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:42 p.m.
He made a mistake. Ease up on the guy. I know several people who have got a DUI and most of them are great people that learned from their mistake. Hopefully that will be the case for Fitz. I wish him the best of luck and hope this serves as a wake-up call for him.
mookienation
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 6:17 p.m.
I'm not saying he shouldn't be punished. He absolutely should be. I'm also not saying that it wasn't stupid and irresponsible. But just because he's a college athlete doesn't mean he isn't prone to all the same mistakes as other human beings. I just don't agree with perceiving Fitz as a horrible person based on ONE incident. He has flaws just like the rest of us. For all we know, he'll never drink and drive again in his life. I believe in second chances, and hopefully Fitz takes advantage of another chance after he serves his suspension.
Terry Star21
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:54 p.m.
Fitz will learn from this mook, but forget easing up - he was stupid and should be lucky to get back on this team, he knows the Michigan way and he failed badly.
Hailmary
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:19 p.m.
Were your friends 1st string running backs playing college football and quite likely heroes to kids all over America and possibly around the world. Tim Biakabatuca was a heralded running back at Mich. and followed like a folk hero by kids in his home country. Unfortunately these athletes are like heroes to many of our children and kids will imitate any person good or bad that they, the kids look up to.
Veracity
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:52 p.m.
Sorry. You can not excuse DUI on the basis of a great personality. Every DUI could, and some have, ended up with innocent people being killed. Fitz disregarded Hoke's warnings and deserves to be penalized appropriately.
Veracity
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:35 p.m.
I am curious about Brady Hoke's instructions to his players about the use of alcohol and other drugs and not getting into legal entanglements. If Hoke's "how-to-stay-out-of-trouble" education program is comprehensive and easily understood then players have no excuses if they break his rules. Actually I would not be surprised if Hoke and the other coaches discuss Michigan rules with prospective recruits and their families. If so, it could be a real plus with the parents and help with recruiting. Of course, Hoke has to demonstrate his commitment to his own rules but not issuing exceptions (or at least very few exceptions which he can easily justify).
michboy40
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:34 p.m.
...and the hits keep coming. Frank Clark arrested for home invasion as well! What is this, O$U?
catfishrisin
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:42 p.m.
worse...it's UM
Doug
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:32 p.m.
Hoke has to stick to his guns. No player is above the team. Toussaint can play next year if he's around!
A2comments
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:32 p.m.
I commend Coach Hoke for his prompt action, and look to him to decide Fitz' future with the Wolverines. He seems to be a man that doesn't put up with anything, and I commend him for it.
michboy40
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:30 p.m.
Cummon' man!
Hailmary
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:29 p.m.
D.U.I. With such a gifted athlete such as this young man with a possible big time payday ahead in the near future it brings to mind a very important question. What the hell were you thinking before you had your first drink and you knew you were driving this particular night ?
a2phiggy
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:25 p.m.
I hope that there are financial implications (read: loss of scholarship) as well - something needs to happen to make these gentlemen realize that they are endangering others' lives. They are spoon fed every privilege imaginable and pull these stunts - ridiculous.
Hailmary
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:31 p.m.
a2, that's why they pull these stunts, because they are spoon fed and as long as they feel privileged they, the athletes will continue to pull these stunts.
Cliff
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:20 p.m.
For all those that ripped Dantonio for not disciplining his players more by kicking them off of MSU's team a few years ago... Are you wanting Hoke to keep him or cut him??????
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:32 a.m.
Thumbs up. That's a fair question. I noticed Hoke "declined" to offer a definite opinion of what Joe Paterno is now accused of doing. For a man who speaks so plainly and strongly, it's puzzling he doesn't seem to be very consistent. I think in the current scandal filled "climate," U of M might not put up with such vagueness in their head coach. Rodriguez: I always said his biggest mistake was embarrassing U of M. If there are any more DUI (etc.) arrests of Michigan players: it may well turn out to be too embarrassing for U of M to pass up. And Mr. Toussant is another one who needs to get that message: Don't embarrass Michigan. Dantonio: IS Dantonio, nothing we can do about that. I just don't think Dantonioism will be tolerated by U of M insiders (aka, "admins and other alumni")
1998pa
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:35 p.m.
keep thinking you've got moral high ground on dantonio. just make sure you lock your doors and windows if frank clark is in the area. the fact of the matter is fans that can't see anything objectively are always going to make excuses why things are different for the team they cheer for. they're not. but really, carry on thinking that way if you already do. nothing i, or anyone else for that matter,say will change anything.
goldenblue
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:56 p.m.
didnt rucker get out of jail and strait to playing field.And dont get me started about rather hall or colorado incident.
Ghost of Tom Joad
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:47 p.m.
how about we try apples to apples comparisons? If 20 kids from the team put on ski masks and start a melee in a dorm and THEN then UM fans don't call for their suspensions, you can call shenanigans. Until then, this is par for the course in college football and Hoke has been consistent with how he handles this.
Blue Marker
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:43 p.m.
I believe the "ripping" was mostly for Glen Winston who got out of jail for assault and went to practice. Another player had been involved in lap-top theft and was let back on as well. As for Fritz, it's his first offence so I believe a suspension of one or two games would do.
David Muzzatti
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:16 p.m.
What gets lost in all this is that FORTUNATELY he didn't kill anyone.
edjasbord
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:15 p.m.
Its really vague how this arrest might not result in a loss of playing time for Fitz. Shouldnt that be the assumption? If there is some reason to not assume this, which Kyle makes special effort not to do, it needs to be expounded upon. Why on earth is it 'unclear' if this will result in a loss of playing time? We should all assume it will - that's the normal course. Any violation of that needs to be further explained.
garrisondyer
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:45 a.m.
AZ, I got a bit of a talking to from my vice principal when I taught that lesson to my 8th graders a few years back... Even though I really enjoyed learning it from my 6th grade teacher back in the day.
azwolverine
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:52 p.m.
It's 'unclear' because Hoke never said it specifically. As a writer, it is best for Kyle not to 'assume' anything. You know what they say when you assume...
Howard the Duck
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:14 p.m.
Terry Starr will perk us all up!
Terry Star21
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:51 p.m.
Thanks Howard.....but I feel like someone punched me in the gut then blasted me in the head......I'm down for the count.....
julieswhimsies
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:11 p.m.
News flash. U of M Football player arrested for drunken driving. Yawn.
Madeleine Borthwick
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 5:04 p.m.
yep(sound of crickets chirping).
squidlover
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:06 p.m.
Sounds like a future Detroit Lion (sadly). Willing to give him another chance after he serves his suspension & completes other requirements. If he is arrested for another crime, dismiss him.
Scott
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:05 p.m.
What a dumb donkey. One year away from a fat NFL contract if he had a good season. I think Rawls will step up, have a great game against Alabama, and Touissant will never get his job back. Great job by Hoke to pull the trigger quick. We are Michigan not OSU! Go Blue!
azwolverine
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 10:49 p.m.
Glenn, The problem for Fitz, though, is that without another college season, he's not going to get drafted or make much in the NFL unless/until he proves himself there. He had to have a great season at UM, which may not happen now.
glenn
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:13 p.m.
This only affects his time at Michigan. The NFL will take anyone (armed robbery, drunk drivers).
AnnArborDon
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7 p.m.
Was he alone? Where was his designated driver? The thing about alcohol is that you have to make the good decisions BEFORE you start drinking, because you can't make them AFTER you start drinking. Part of the impairment that alcohol causes in the brain is not being able to tell that you are impaired. I hope that Coach Hoke also learns a lesson from this - if you can't keep them sober, keep them with someone who is.
mookienation
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:36 p.m.
When I'm drunk, I know I'm drunk.
Veracity
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:27 p.m.
Unfortunately, that appears to be necessary if you do not wish to lose good players.
Scott
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:14 p.m.
Hoke has to schedule their social activities with a chaperon? At Michigan? i hope that never happens.
Johnny2x2x
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:59 p.m.
Is this the 6th or the 7th arrest since Hoke took over and most of them are alcohol related, this team needs to have some extra alcohol awareness training. Michigan leads Ohio State for the most arrests in the B1G since Hoke took over.
RWBill
Wed, Jul 25, 2012 : 12:29 a.m.
All Rich Rod recruits. Keep suspending them until it sinks in or the freshmen get a chance to play.
Mick52
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:38 a.m.
Alcohol awareness training? Are you kidding me? Might as well add on sensitivity training to cut down on Personal Fouls. Bring in the D.A.R.E. officer (if there are any left). Good grief.
Johnny2x2x
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:49 p.m.
Marvin Robinson, Stonum 2X, Jerald Robinson, WIlliam Campbell, Josh Furman (Acquitted), Toussant, now Frank Clark (2nd degree home invasion announced today)
RudeJude
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:07 p.m.
Who are the others aside from Stonum and Toussaint?
MRunner73
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:48 p.m.
On a bad day for college football, this news is disheartening. Yep, suspend Fitz. The tailback corps is stout. So the poll question about Fitz having a shot at 1600 yeards is gone. Thomas Rawls will be the go to guy and should have 50 carries by the third game of the season. Then there's the rest on the depth chart. Good timing Fitz, you did this in time for fall football and gave the offensive unit time to make the adjustments for camp. Sad, very sad.
Ted Bundy
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 8:46 p.m.
Yes Fitz redshirted already due to injuries.
RudeJude
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:58 p.m.
Just like when a "committed" player visits another school, like Pharoah Brown did last year, the scholarship offer is revoked. That's the rule. The rule has been set on DUIs. If they're not enforced, they're not respected. Hoke has to make the tough call, again. Has Toussaint redshirted yet?
Ted Bundy
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:43 p.m.
Well this is awesome(sacasm). We needed this offseason to go perfect to even stand a chance against the defending national champions Alabama. I've walked all over Ann Arbor countless times, why couldnt Toussaint? Call a cab maybe? I know this will get downvotes but most athletes are just dumb...
ViSHa
Wed, Jul 25, 2012 : 2:13 a.m.
What is toussaints major? Guess he will have more time to crack open the books
aggatt
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:47 p.m.
I was an athlete here at U of M, and I'm now working on my PhD at another Big Ten school (although I was also accepted to Mich to do a fully funded PhD here). I have athlete friends who are studying at top medical schools, working very good jobs on Wall Street, continuing their education via masters and PhD's, working as engineers, etc. To say that most athletes are dumb is ridiculous. We are dedicated students who tend to be better than average at managing our time and getting work done. Many Michigan athletes go on to be very successful in their fields. I'm not saying there are no dumb athletes, I'm just saying it's probably pretty close to the ratio of dumb to smart people in the normal population. As for Toussaint's DUI--that's unfortunate, but people make bad decisions. He's lucky he didn't hurt anyone else while driving impaired, but his actions don't reflect all of the other student athlete's behaviors.
NoPC
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:48 p.m.
Ted, I couldn't disagree with you more. Most of the kids that play at Michigan are really, really good kids. Even Stonum is a great kid who just happened to make a really bad decision. These kids are just that... Kids! And, more often than not, make poor choices. Let's just be thankful nobody was hurt. Unfortunately, Fitz will now have to pay the consequences of his decision. But Man, that's life.
Scott
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:08 p.m.
nope- lots of thumbs up. People are tired of being PC. Dumb is Dumb.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 7:06 p.m.
Actually, Ted, most athletes are pretty intelligent, esp. at first-rate schools. It's true in high school and it's true in college. Unfortunately, even smart kids can make terrible decisions, or more accurately in this case, fail to make good decisions. He's lucky he didn't kill someone. Let's just hope that he will learn from this and not drive to see his probation officer when his license is suspended.
Irvine CA
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:41 p.m.
How dumb can he be. For one lousy glass of alcohol, the guy risked his entire football career.
snoopdog
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 3:50 a.m.
more like 7 glasses !
Tom
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:46 a.m.
Who ever said that Michigan players or fans were smart? There is no threat!
Mick52
Tue, Jul 24, 2012 : 1:32 a.m.
If it was one, it was one big glass.
Art
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:34 p.m.
Give this (zxzxzxz) kid his walking papers!
Ghost of Tom Joad
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:22 p.m.
As Coach Hoke would likely have told him, "Call a cab fergodsakes!"
RudeJude
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:21 p.m.
He'll miss the Alabama and Notre Dame games, at the least. If Hoke takes a Stonum stance, he'll miss the year. Very disappointing.
Dave Kirkpatrick
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:51 p.m.
I hope you are right. However, When U-M player Darryl Stonum got his second DUI --- while he was already on team probation and after he had also been convicted of Contempt of Court for blowing off his Court probation --- Brady Hoke gave him a third chance to stay on the team. Coach Hoke gave him a medical redshirt, which amounts to another year of free college. Stonum continued to practice every day with the team and even went on the team plane to the Sugar Bowl. It was only after he then got pulled over for driving with a suspended license (after lying to the Court, again) that Coach Hoke finally got rid of him. Brady is a good coach and a good man, but his conduct on Stonum was very weak --- it was his first chance to send a message and he blinked. Since then, SIX more UM football players have been indicted for crimes --- Josh Furman, Marvin Robinson, Will Campbell, Jerald Robinson, Fitz Touissant, and Frank Clark.
Johnny2x2x
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 9:47 p.m.
I don't think Toussant misses the season, although Frank Clark might be dismissed entirely.
RudeJude
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:54 p.m.
@ Joshua, Agreed. The B1G is looking like a mess these days. The worst scandal in all of college football history, and it's from a conference member. A third of one of its division are ineligible for the conference championship or a a bowl game this year. Is this our last year on probation? The B1G is needs to step up.
Joshua Nagelkerke
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:49 p.m.
@RudeJude It's still a huge loss and a negative story for our Football program. On another note, it probably won't get much publicity thanks to PENN STATE.
RudeJude
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:45 p.m.
@Joshua If Hoke is consistent, I hope it'll be even more beneficial to Toussaint than it was for Stonum, who continued to make dumb choices. I hate to call for it, but Hoke needs to be consistent. You drink and drive, you miss a season.
Joshua Nagelkerke
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:29 p.m.
RudeJude, you are correct however, the red-shirt suspension should have been a positive thing for Stonum. It would have given him a year of practice and then a full season to shine. I don't believe Fitz will be out for the year (unless there is more to the story than we know) however, he will be out for a few games for sure.
RudeJude
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:27 p.m.
If you recall, Hoke gave him a fresh start, did not consider his previous history in making his decision to red-shirt suspend Stonum. The probation mistake got him kicked off the team. If Hoke is consistent, it'll be the season. But even if he misses just one game due to suspension, that'll be the Alabama game.
Ghost of Tom Joad
Mon, Jul 23, 2012 : 6:23 p.m.
Stonum had more than 1 dui and failed to live up to his probation. That's a bit more than this first offense.