UM's Furman suspended

University of Michigan player J.B. Fitzgerald, 42, celebrates his fumble recovery with teammates Josh Furman, 14, left, Brandin Hawthorne, 7, and Thomas Gordon, 30, during the fourth quarter against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Big House.

ANN ARBOR -- A Michigan spokesman confirmed Monday that safety Josh Furman has been suspended from the football team.

While Michigan officials would not elaborate on the length or details of the suspension, the attorney who represents Furman said that Furman is scheduled to appear April 23 in Washtenaw County 15th District Court on misdemeanor charges of domestic violence, assault, and breaking and entering/illegal entry.

Furman was arrested Feb. 11, but attorney Gerry Mason, who is based in Port Huron, Mich., believes the situation has been exaggerated.

"This case is a lot like Seinfeld," Mason said Monday afternoon. "Much ado about nothing."

Mason said of Furman that "he's embarrassed as hell."

"Josh was suspended indefinitely from team activities as soon as we became aware of the report," Hoke said in a statement. "These are serious allegations. We will allow the judicial process to run its course before making a final determination on his status with the program."

Last season, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound sophomore from Annapolis, Md., had 10 tackles (five solo, five assisted) and played primarily on special teams and at reserve safety.

Neither the court nor the Ann Arbor police released details of the arrest or the incident. Mason explained that the charges stem from a February incident in which Furman was receiving text messages on his mobile phone from another male while at an apartment with two female Michigan students.

"The two females jumped on Furman, to keep him from [leaving the apartment and] beating up the third-party male," Mason said. "In the mix, one of Furman's dreadlocks gets pulled out."

Mason said Furman left the apartment but continued to receive text messages after he arrived at his residence.

"The other parties were afraid Furman would come back, and he never did, but the two women called the police, and Furman was arrested," Mason said.