Man charged in YMCA locker room attack in which ex-NFL star Braylon Edwards saved 80-year-old's life

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A man accused of attacking an elderly gym patron in Farmington Hills, Michigan — where ex-NFL and Michigan football star Braylon Edwards intervened to save the gym-goer's life — was charged. 

Malik Ali Smith, 20, is being charged with assault with intent to murder, carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, Fox 2 Detroit reported.

Smith attacked the 80-year-old man after an exchange of words inside the locker room at Farming Hills YMCA around 10:45 a.m. on March 1. Edwards, a Michigan Wolverines legend who was drafted third overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2005, overheard the commotion caused after the verbal tussle and stepped in just in time. 

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University of Michigan All-American & NFL Pro-Bowler, Braylon Edwards attends the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy Golf Tournament presented by Tom Gores & Platinum Equity held at Detroit Golf Club at Detroit Golf Club on August 26, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Scott Legato/Getty Images)

"I walk into the locker room after work, and basically, I hear about four rows behind me arguing about music and how it was being played too loud," Edwards explained. "So, I’m not paying attention, and I was just minding my business.

"The noise escalates, and then you can hear some pushing and shoving, so you know what fighting sounds like, but once I hear a thud, that’s when I got up and turned around."

BRAYLON EDWARDS, EX-NFL AND MICHIGAN STAR, SAVES 80-YEAR-OLD MAN'S LIFE DURING LOCKER ROOM ATTACK

Edwards revealed to WDIV-TV that authorities found out, if he didn’t step in, the elderly man may have died. He is currently in the