Video: Numerous Michigan State football players gang up on lone Michigan player, punching, kicking, and throwing him to ground in stadium tunnel after MSU loss



After the Michigan State Spartans lost the gridiron battle to the Michigan Wolverines 29-7 in Ann Arbor on Saturday, some MSU players evidently figured they might still win the war.

Video shows several Spartans ganging up on a Michigan football player — identified in multiple reports as defensive back Ja’Den McBurrows — in the contentious Michigan Stadium tunnel, throwing punches and landing kicks and throwing him to the ground:

\u201cWOAH! The Michigan and Michigan State scuffle carried over into the tunnel. #MSUvsUM \u201d
— Woodward Sports Network (@Woodward Sports Network) 1667099440

Another video taken behind police officers at a T-junction in the tunnel appears to show Michigan State players pulling down a Wolverines player:

\u201chttps://t.co/wkKGC8O2IA\u201d
— Kyle Austin (@Kyle Austin) 1667099224

Postgame offense

WJRT reported that the scuffle was preempted by trash talk between members of both teams. It is unclear if the Wolverines escalated the situation by drawing attention to how they had managed 276 rushing yards over MSU's 37.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh claimed in the postgame press conference that two Wolverines players had been assaulted, characterizing what he saw in the video of the "10-on-1" skirmish as "pretty, pretty bad."

Harbaugh added that one player had a nasal injury — potentially a broken nose — as a result of the tunnel fight.

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel called the incident "unacceptable," noting that "this is not what a rivalry should be about."

Manuel indicated that Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren was looking into the fight.

\u201cThere was an incident in the tunnel after Michigan's rivalry win over Michigan State.\n\nJim Harbaugh and Warde Manuel addressed it in the postgame press conference.\u201d
— Big Ten Network (@Big Ten Network) 1667106069

Spartans coach Mel Tucker tweeted afterward that "our program has a responsibility to uphold the highest level of sportsmanship. While emotions were very high at the conclusion of our rivalry game at Michigan Stadium, there is no excuse for behavior that puts our team or our opponents at risk."

One video appears to show Tucker swinging at a fan who tried to touch him on his way out of the stadium:

\u201cDo not touch Mel Tucker\u2019s head\u201d
— Unnecessary Roughness (@Unnecessary Roughness) 1667103540

According to Tucker, Michigan State would "evaluate the events in Ann Arbor and take swift and appropriate action," in "complete cooperation with law enforcement, the Big Ten Conference and MSU and UM leadership."

University of Michigan Deputy Chief of Police Melissa Overton released a statement, indicating that University of Michigan Police were collaborating with MSU Police and investigating the post-game incident.

\u201cUniversity of Michigan Deputy Chief of Police Melissa Overton released this statement on the incident with Michigan State in the tunnel at Michigan Stadium.\u201d
— Tom VanHaaren (@Tom VanHaaren) 1667106183

Tunnel of love

Sports Illustrated reported that Michigan Stadium having only one tunnel leading to both locker rooms has been raised as a possible problem previously.

Earlier this month, Penn State and Michigan players got into a shouting match in the same tunnel:

\u201cSome halftime tunnel shenanigans happening.\u201d
— Isaiah Hole (@Isaiah Hole) 1665855722

Penn State head coach James Franklin afterward called the route off the field "a problem."

High school football player bashes Newsom in viral rant against lockdowns: 'What a wasted final year of school'



A California high school football player went viral for his compelling rant against Gov. Gavin Newsom's restrictive COVID-19 lockdowns that have shut down team sports. Isaiah Navarro, who attends Paraclete High School in Lancaster, voiced his frustrations on all of the paramount life experiences that he was robbed of in his "wasted final year of school."

"Zero offers, zero looks, zero commitments, zero time on campus, zero homecoming, zero prom, zero traditional graduation," Navarro tweeted this week. "What a wasted final year of school."

"Worked hard and dedicated for absolutely ZERO. Big shout out to @GavinNewsom! You got what you wanted," the young man wrote, and tagged the Democratic governor of California.

After the tweet went viral with over 12,000 retweets and nearly 60,000 likes, Navarro remarked that he was "honestly humbled by the retweets and positive comments."

"I know there are thousands in my shoes across this State," the football player stated. "I do not want anything given to me, just a chance to show my value and be an asset. Gray shirt, red shirt, grass, turf or dirt. I will play anywhere, God willing."

Honestly humbled by the retweets and positive comments. I know there are thousands in my shoes across this State.… https://t.co/KpsNxeBXCV
— Isaiah J. Navarro (@Isaiah J. Navarro)1612414273.0

Navarro was invited to appear on "Fox & Friends," where he said his plans for this fall are "working on myself" since the future of high school sports is in question in the Golden State.

His previous plans for his senior year during football were to win another defensive lineman of the year award and to be named MVP.

Navarro called out Newsom's double standard coronavirus lockdowns that allow private schools to participate in sports, but public schools are barred from athletics — putting kids at a disadvantage in being awarded athletic scholarships.

When asked if Newsom hurt him financially by costing him a scholarship, Navarro responded by saying, "Yeah, he did, with a lot of opportunities that could have come along with the process of going towards offers and scholarships. With that being taken away was a huge thing taken away from high school students. It's a big thing for us student athletes."

"This is our only chance to help our family," Navarro stated. "We want to support our family and relatives."

"We love the sport, but being that taken away is a huge part of our lives," he said.

Navarro said the reaction to his viral tweet has been "ridiculous."

"I didn't think I'd get this big of an audience to side with me and get this out," Navarro said.

High school football star @IsaiahJNavarro1 calls out California‘s governor for keeping student athletes off the fie… https://t.co/ngJIWpKheJ
— Fox & Friends First (@Fox & Friends First)1612532106.0

Newsom lifted the mandatory stay-at-home orders on Jan. 25, which allowed certain sports to return: cross country, golf, tennis, swimming, and diving.

However, time is running out on the 2021 high school football season. The California Interscholastic Federation said football's end date this spring can be as late as May 1, but leagues around the state say the final date is April 17, according to CBS Sports.

"You go from the end date and work backwards," Junipero Serra High School's football coach Patrick Walsh said. "If we can start sometime in early March that gives us 5-8 games. I think all reasonable players and coaches would be happy with that."

On Wednesday, Newsom defended his position.

"As I said, I not only have four kids who want to be educated, but they love sports," Newsom stated. "So I recognize all of the benefits — physical and mental — as well as the benefits to teachers and parents who have kids who are engaged in physical activities in terms of our responsibility to support those children as well. We want to see this happen."

"We want to do it safely and a lot of great data has been provided by the same groups that are suing us," the governor said. "If I was concerned about lawsuits, I would have collapsed a year ago. We receive dozens of them every week. And some of them are from folks who are very close to us. It's clarifying. It allows for focus. Some are specious, political. Others like this I think are quite legitimate in terms of what they ultimately want to achieve."