FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- A man has been charged with attempted murder in a locker room attack at a suburban Detroit YMCA that was broken up by former NFL player Braylon Edwards.

Edwards said he was "just minding [his] business" Friday when he heard a dispute about loud music at the recreation center in Farmington Hills.

"The noise escalates, and then you can hear some pushing and shoving, so you know what fighting sounds like," Edwards told WDIV-TV. "But once I hear a thud, that's when I got up and turned around."

Edwards said he stopped the assault of an 80-year-old man, who had a head injury. The 20-year-old suspect fled on foot before he was captured by police.

Court documents list Edwards as the key witness in the case.

"This was a vicious, senseless attack," Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said Monday. "I commend the witness who intervened, and we will seek justice for this victim."

Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King didn't mention Edwards by name but said a "good Samaritan" stopped the "vicious assault."

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

"At the end of the day that's what you do," Edwards said of his decision to get involved.

Edwards, a star receiver at Michigan, was a first-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2005. He played eight seasons in the NFL, mostly with Cleveland and the New York Jets.