Michigan has suspended three players for violating team rules ahead of the Outback Bowl on New Years Day in Tampa, Florida.
Cornerback J.T. Floyd, punter Will Hagerup, and linebacker Brandin Hawthorne have all been suspended from the team. For Floyd and Hawthorne, both seniors, the Outback Bowl would have been the last game of their football careers.
Coach Brady Hoke didn’t specify what team rules had been broken but did say that his players had exercised “poor judgement.”
Hoke said:
“It is an honor to play football for the University of Michigan, and we have high standards and expectations for everyone that represents our program … These young men used poor judgment in each circumstance, and these suspensions are teaching moments for our team.”
USA Today reports that Hagerup has been suspended from the team in the past. Two years ago he was suspended from the Ohio State game as well as the first four games in 2011. He was the team’s starting punter in 2012 and was named the Big Ten’s best punter. Matt Wile, a sophomore, will take his place during the Outback Bowl.
J.T. Floyd, Brandin Hawthorne & Will Hagerup have been suspended for the Outback Bowl for a violation of team rules.
— Michigan Football (@umichfootball) December 16, 2012
Michigan, ranked 19th, will face South Carolina, ranked 11th, at the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day in Tampa, Florida. You can see the complete Bowl Game schedule here .