ANN ARBOR, Mich. — George Green, the father of Michigan defensive back Gemon Green — who was injured in a Michigan Stadium tunnel incident Saturday night after the Michigan-Michigan State game — said his son is in concussion protocol and has a cut over his right eye.
He has retained top lawyer Tom Mars.
A police investigation is ongoing after the “egregious” situation — as Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh described it Monday — in the Michigan Stadium tunnel after the rivalry game. Ja’Den McBurrows and Green were injured.
A video showed the two Michigan players moving up the tunnel as Michigan State players were walking up the tunnel toward their locker room, while most of the Michigan players were on the field celebrating. Harbaugh said Monday that Green was “punched and Ja’Den was trying to help.”
Video surfaced of a helmetless Green being hit by a helmet by an MSU player, and another video shot by a Detroit News reporter showed McBurrows being pushed and possibly kicked while surrounded by a number of players.
Michigan State has suspended four players indefinitely.
“I am so hurt,” George Green told The Detroit News on Monday. “I own a trucking company, and I’m not doing any good. It’s hard for me to drive this truck. I ain’t slept. Didn’t sleep none Saturday. Tried to close my eyes (Sunday) night. All I could see were helmets being swung at my son, trying to harm my son, and I couldn’t do nothing to protect him.
“It’s killing me. I’m in a bad place right now. Anybody whose kid would have been in that position, I would hope would be feeling the same way I’m feeling, because I’m real angry. My heart is hurting. I’m emotionally broken up. I closed my eyes (Sunday) night trying to sleep, and I had to tell my wife, ‘Get up and pray again with me, because every time I close my eyes, all I can see is that video of them trying to hurt my son.’”
Green is uncertain how his son will recover emotionally.
“I don’t know how this is going to affect my son after this,” Green said. “He might never want to put a helmet on again, and he has a great future in front of him. This could cost him his livelihood that he’s worked hard for all his life.”
Green has retained Mars, who represented former Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson, and in 2018 successfully obtained immediate eligibility for him, among many other transfer waivers to come.
“When college football players brutally attack a member of the opposing team with their helmets, resulting in the player suffering a concussion and other injuries, an apology won’t suffice,” Mars said in a statement Monday. There has to be severe consequences for this kind of misconduct.
“Not only does Gemon Green deserve to be compensated for his injuries. Severe consequences in this case will deter others who might think they can get away with brutally beating an opposing player and only get a slap on the wrist. I’ve got news for the MSU players who did this to Gemon. They are going to feel the full wrath of the law.”
Gemon and twin brother German are on Michigan’s roster. Their father, who referred to his sons as “daddy boys,” travels from Texas to attend every home game. He said he often communicates four to six times a day with his sons.
“Both my boys are great kids,” Green said. “German, he likes excitement, but Gemon is the quietest person in the world, doesn’t bother nobody. I had to make him talk. He keeps to himself. For that to happen to him, that tore me up. He doesn’t look for no trouble and tries to avoid all the trouble in the world.”
Green said the brothers typically head up the tunnel quickly after a game, so they can make a fast exit after Harbaugh speaks to the team, and they can visit with their family.
After the Michigan State game, Green, said Gemon told him he lingered a bit on the field to speak with Michigan State running back Jarek Broussard, who transferred there from Colorado. The two have a mutual friend at Colorado. Gemon also was disappointed, his father said, in his play during the Michigan State game. Gemon told his father he thought his Michigan teammates were heading toward the tunnel after celebrating with the Paul Bunyan Trophy by the student section, but he didn’t realize they had stopped again for more photos on the field.
Green did not have his helmet on as he moved into the tunnel. There is one tunnel in Michigan Stadium that leads to the visitors' locker room on the left and the Michigan locker room on the right.
“He said (the MSU player) said some curse words to him and he pushed (Gemon) in his face,” George Green said. “That’s when it all happened. All he could remember is helmets flying, and he put his helmet up to protect his head. If he took the two, three seconds to get it on, he would have been hit more than he was hit in the head. When he was hit in the head, some of the hardware on the helmet cut him on the right side of his eye.”
McBurrows, he said, suffered a broken nose.
George Green was moving toward their usual postgame meeting spot and did not know anything was wrong until his other son called.
“German called me, ‘Daddy, Daddy, they done jumped on my brother,’” George Green said. “I said, ‘Who? Where?’ He said, ‘In the tunnel. The Michigan State players.’”
George and German met by the tunnel entrance toward the outside of the stadium and looked for Gemon. They found him being interviewed by police.
“I looked at him to see if he’s OK. He was scarred up and his face was bleeding, and then I snapped,” said Green, who said his son's face was swollen on Sunday. “Me and his brother lost it. That’s his best friend. He idolizes him. He’s gonna have mental problems with this like I am. I am sick to my heart.”
He said he was stopped by police and security as he walked through the tunnel looking for answers.
Green was livid.
“Where was this security when my son was being assaulted?” he said. “I’m asking the police, ‘Hey, can you come with me to help me find who assaulted my son?’ Nobody would say a word to me. They pushed like telling me to go on home. I have a problem with that.”
Green did not see the video showing his son being hit until Sunday morning, when he arrived at the airport.
“My heart just dropped,” Green said. “Tears came to my eyes. They were trying to hurt my son. They were coming from the ground swinging the helmet, wailing away. I’m on the airplane crying. And then I saw tweets from heartless people that he got what he deserved. That tore me apart. It’s disgusting. Sickening. It’s like I’m having a bad dream. In my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t expect this.”
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