In an interview Friday with a Detroit station WDIVEdwards said that when he entered the locker room, he “heard some noise about four rows behind me, arguing about the music, and someone playing some music very loudly.” The 41-year-old former receiver said he initially paid little attention to the apparent altercation until it became more violent.

“The noise builds up, and then you can hear some pushing and shoving — you know what a fight sounds like — and you start to hear some scuffling, you start to hear some fists,” Edwards said. “But as soon as I heard a crash, that’s what woke me up. That’s what made me turn around.”

Edwards told the station that he saw the alleged assailant “grabbing the back of the victim’s head by the hair, and was about to slam him into the table.” The former University of Michigan star said he then moved into the house and “subdued” the young man.

The alleged victim, who police did not identify, was in critical but stable condition in hospital, police said Monday.

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“As evidenced by the extensive injuries sustained by the victim, it is clear that the intervention of Mr. Braylon Edwards played a pivotal role in saving the victim’s life,” Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King said in a statement. “This is a horrific incident, but Mr. Edwards’ dedicated efforts exemplify the best in our community.”

Smith was arraigned Saturday and remained in county jail Monday after his bail was set at $250,000, the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said. Police said a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. If convicted of a felony charge, he could face life in prison.

Smith’s attorney said: Detroit News“It has been reported that my client is a violent person and this is simply not the case. He is young and has a history of mental health problems.”

“This was a vicious, senseless attack,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement. “I commend the witness who intervened and we will seek justice for this victim.”

In a news release issued Friday by Farmington police, which did not identify Edwards, he was described as a “good Samaritan” who took action “to stop the suspect in the midst of a vicious assault.”

Michigan’s all-time leader in catches (252), receiving yards (3,541) and receiving touchdowns (39), Edwards was selected third overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2005 NFL Draft. He was traded to the Jets in the middle of 2009 season, helping New York reach back-to-back AFC Championship games.

Edwards signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and played with the Seattle Seahawks the following season before briefly returning to the Jets to finish his NFL career. The 2007 Pro Bowl selection finished with 359 catches for 5,522 yards and 40 touchdowns.

Edwards, a Detroit native, is spending his retirement as a West Bloomfield Township resident. Regarding what was hailed as a life-saving intervention, he said on Friday: “That’s what you do.”

“At the end of the day,” Edwards said He said “I did what was right, like so many other good people in this world,” she wrote on social media Monday.