Ex-NFL WR Braylon Edwards stops alleged assault of man, 80

DETROIT — Former NFL player Braylon Edwards intervened and saved the life of an 80-year-old man who was attacked in the locker room of a suburban Detroit YMCA, police said Monday.

“Without this intervention, we could very easily be talking about someone's death,” Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King said.

Meanwhile, authorities have filed attempted murder charges against a 20-year-old man for the incident at the recreation center Friday.

Edwards, 41, said he was “just minding my own business” when he heard an argument over loud music.

“The noise gets louder, and then you can hear pushing and shoving, so you know what fighting is like,” Edwards told WDIV-TV. “But once I heard a loud noise, that’s when I got up and turned around.”

“He absolutely saved this man’s life,” King told the Associated Press. “I've been a police officer for 29 years. When these attacks continue, very bad things can happen.”

The chief said the victim was in critical but stable condition at the hospital Monday.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald did not mention Edwards by name, but said, “I commend the witness who came forward and we will seek justice for this victim.”

“He absolutely saved this man's life. I've been a police officer for 29 years. When these attacks continue, really bad things can happen.”

Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King on Braylon Edwards

McDonald called it a “vicious and senseless attack.”

The alleged attacker appeared in court Saturday and remains in custody on $250,000 bail.

“At the end of the day, it’s what you do,” Edwards said of his decision to get involved.

Edwards, Michigan's star wide receiver, was a first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2005. He played eight seasons in the NFL, primarily with Cleveland and the New York Jets.