Junior wide receiver Johnnie Morant of the Syracuse Orangemen publicly apologized for punching a lacrosse player.

"I punched Mike Springer when he wasn't looking, was not able to defend himself, and without provocation," Morant said in a letter issued Sunday night. "He was totally surprised by my actions and did not attempt to hit me back. He was and is 100 percent blameless."

It marked the first time someone from the school acknowledged the incident, which occurred last April and has been swirling around the university's two sports programs for months.

The apology came one day after Morant was suspended from Syracuse's game against Rhode Island. It marked the third time in three years Morant has been suspended from games for violation of football team policies.

Morant said the altercation was resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

Head coach Paul Pasqualoni declined to answer questions about Morant's status. After Saturday's game, Pasqualoni would not say whether the suspension was for more than one game.