Michigan football releases statement in response to video showing staffer using expletives toward Washington fans
Michigan Wolverines football Director of Player Development Chris Bryant was captured on video approaching Washington fans sitting behind the U-M sideline during Saturday’s game, a 27-17 Husky victory in Seattle, and responding with vulgar language. The U-M athletic department released a statement on the situation Tuesday evening.
“We became aware of an interaction between Washington fans who were harassing our players by using over the top and offensive language,” the Michigan statement read, according to The Detroit News. “It was an unfortunate situation and should not have happened. Our staff member should have asked the stadium staff to handle the matter rather than act in the emotional manner in which he did at that time. This is disappointing, and we will handle the matter internally as a program.”
The video posted by Barstool Huskies on Twitter showed Bryant leave the Michigan bench area to walk toward the stands. In part, Bryant said, “You guys better chill the f— out or you get f—ed up.”
“We’re good,” a Washington fan said in reply.
The video lacked context, only showing Bryant’s response and not what the fans did or said to warrant it.
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Bryant is a former Michigan offensive lineman and longtime member of the support staff. He previously served as U-M’s director of high school relations.
Bryant’s playing career at Michigan ended after a series of injuries.
A story from The Michigan Daily in 2017 detailed how Bryant joined the Wolverine staff under then-head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2015. Here is an excerpt:
While at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh had recruited Bryant vigorously. He had hosted the Bryant family on an official visit and made Bryant feel comfortable.
When Harbaugh left for the NFL, Bryant didn’t anticipate crossing paths ever again.
In 2015, though, he found himself sitting in Harbaugh’s new office at Schembechler Hall.
“Coach Harbaugh came in, and he knew who I was from recruiting, he knew about my injuries and everything like that, and we just had a conversation when he first got here,” Bryant recalled. “He asked me what I wanted to do, and I told him I wasn’t really sure. I didn’t know if I wanted to go into the real world yet, but I knew I loved football and I wasn’t ready to give it up.”
The two quickly reached an agreement: Bryant would stay on as an intern with the team while continuing his studies at Michigan’s graduate school for social work.
He had to work his way up from the bottom — this involved cutting a lot of film — but eventually he earned a paid internship, and most importantly for Bryant, he earned the responsibility to work with recruits.
“I felt comfortable sitting in front of recruits and different families,” Bryant said. “I felt like I had a unique story (in) that I was only here to start a couple games but I’m sitting here getting my master’s degree from the University of Michigan and not having to come out with any debt. … Coach Harbaugh felt like that was a unique story, and Coach Harbaugh is really huge on taking care of his guys.”
Harbaugh continued to give Bryant bigger assignments. He was tasked with bringing recruits on campus, where he’d host them on visits and give them tours around campus.
