Michigan State Back Pleads Guilty After Beating Up Hockey Player

Back in October, there were two incidents involving college football players beating up hockey players from the same campus. The first happened at Michigan, and then there was another fight at Michigan State.

Those responsible for the Michigan State donnybrook include freshman running back and kick returner Glenn Winston. He has been suspended by the team after pleading guilty to assault charges.

Michigan State hockey player A.J. Sturges suffered a head injury in the October 19 incident, and he hopes to play again for the Spartans in 2009-2010. The original reports alleged that multiple MSU students, including football players, went to an off-campus home where hockey players were known to live.

At the time, eyewitness accounts were somewhat frightening.

There were between 50-60 people in Center Street, yelling at each other between 12:30 a.m. and about 1:15 to 1:30 a.m., said Aly Moore, a dietetics junior who lives on Center Street and watched the night's events from her window.

"There was name calling, people hitting each other and then people would go away," she said. "Then they would come back - on and off for about an hour."

Perhaps, the next time Aly sees something like this going on from her window, she'll call the police so it doesn't go on for an hour.

Winston has been suspended indefinitely by Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio for his part in the assault. Also pleading guilty in the case was freshman Mitchell White, but no punishment has been announced for the walk-on.

While this suspension is said to be indefinite, Winston's attorney doesn't sound like he thinks it will last that long.

Earlier Tuesday, Winston's attorney, Jim Newton of MSU Student Legal Services, said Winston agreed to the plea deal "to get the matter over with and get on with his classes, and get ready for spring football."

Spring football starts in April, in case you're wondering. Seems to me that the player, his attorney, and the football coach may have different ideas on the meaning of the word "indefinite" here. Let's hope that Dantonio didn't mean "about a month and a half." Winston needs to not play football for Michigan State for a very long time.