GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Jason Avant already had an established place in Michigan lore, but because of his actions following Saturday’s stunning win over Ohio State, he’s a hero in Ann Arbor.
The former Wolverine and NFL wide receiver has been identified as the person who rescued the team’s “Block M” flag that helped spark a post-game melee in Columbus, Ohio.
It started following the Wolverines’ 13-10 win. Michigan players were happy to celebrate their fourth consecutive win over their rivals and brought a giant flag to midfield to cap off the victory. That was when several Buckeyes ran back onto the field and started what became a major fight, heated to the point where several police officers used pepper spray to break it up.
Video shows Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer sprint toward the group of Michigan players, push past police and eventually rip the flag from the pole before storming away. OSU’s Davison Igbinosun had it and tried to walk away with it before a person, now identified as Avant, stepped in and took it back.
Avant played at Michigan from 2002 through 2005 and spent 11 seasons in the NFL. He is now in his third season as the sideline reporter for Michigan Football’s radio broadcasts.
He told The Detroit News that he was heading to the team’s locker room to do interviews and didn’t see much of the fight but saw the flag was in the wrong hands.
“I saw a dude with a Buckeye jersey with the flag, and I was like, ‘Hey, what is going on?’” Avant said. “I didn’t see the flag plant; I didn’t see the confrontation or scuffle or anything. I just saw the guy with the flag, and I was like, ‘Ah, let me get that back.’”
Video from The Detroit News’ Angelique Chengelis shows another OSU player trying to fight Avant for the flag and another shoving him before a Michigan player intervened. He brought the flag back to Michigan’s locker room — and allegedly gave it a few waves to the Buckeye faithful — before returning it to the coaching staff.
Avant said by the time he landed back in Ann Arbor that he had 75 new messages on his phone and gained about 5,000 new followers on social media. He also said his former teammates are now calling him “The Flag Man.”
“I looked at the video and I was like, ‘Oh, they were trying to push me out.’ I don’t think they knew, ‘Oh, he’s a former player, or he’s still in shape,’” Avant told The Detroit News.
Each university was fined $100,000 by the Big Ten for its role in the fight, accused of violating the conference’s sportsmanship policy.
“Not only did the actions of both teams violate fundamental elements of sportsmanship such as respect and civility, the nature of the incident also jeopardized the safety of participants and bystanders,” the conference said in a statement.
