It’s been going around this summer, DUIs among athletes, college and pro. In this latest case, Michigan’s starting running back Fitzgerald Toussaint was suspended indefinitely from the Wolverines after being charged on Saturday night.
“Fitz made a poor decision and has been suspended indefinitely because of that action,” coach Brady Hoke said in a statement today. “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.”
In other words, he will be reinstated before too long; he’s too valuable to the team. Saline (Mich.) Police Chief Larry Hrinik confirmed Toussaint’s arrest, saying that at the time Toussaint’s blood alcohol level was .12. Michigan’s legal limit is .08.
Hrinik said Saline police officers were working a high-visibility enforcement area in Ann Arbor Saturday evening when they witnessed Toussaint go through a red light at the intersection of Forest and Washtenaw.
“The officers could smell intoxicants on his breath,” Hrinik said. “They had him take a PBT (preliminary breath test) and ended up arresting him and brought him back here to process him.”
Toussaint was released early Sunday morning on bond. His court date has yet to be determined and the police report didn’t specify to whom Toussaint was released.
Toussaint was driving a white Ford 150. The police report didn’t indicate whether anyone else was in the vehicle at the time of the arrest.
“It was a cut and dry report,” Hrinik said. “The nice thing is that he was very cooperative.”
A redshirt junior, Toussaint ran for 1,041 yards and nine touchdowns on 187 carries as Michigan’s starting running back in 2011. The total was second on the team behind quarterback Denard Robinson.
