…and you thought I had forgotten about this list. Today’s edition is going to be a little short, as I am writing from an Asheville, NC hotel with a crappy ethernet connection. If you’re on the road and need blazing fast internet, I would not recommend the Baymont Inn. Anyways…

Offense: Anthony Thomas, RB, 1997-2000

The A-Train reaches paydirt. Sorry, I couldn't think of a train pun that hasn't been beaten into the ground. (Photo courtesy of the Michigan Daily)

Before Mike Hart, Anthony Thomas held nearly every meaningful career rushing record at Michigan: carries, yards, touchdowns (still holds that one, with 55) and 100+ yard games. Like Hart, he saw playing time right away, rushing for 583 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman in 1997 while splitting time with Chris Howard and Clarence Williams. What sticks out for me from Thomas was his ability to hit the hole and GO — he was certainly a big back, but he had home run speed and great backfield vision. His 2000 season was ridiculous: 319 carries, 1,733 yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, nine 100-yard games — all four of those figures are second in school history for a single season. His career is worthy of a ten-minute YouTube video (compiled by WolverineHistorian, whose channel you really should be subscribed to by now):

So, you ask, why is he not higher on this list? To me, it’s simple. A lot of those holes he burst through were GIANT. Jeff Backus and Steve Hutchinson manned the left side of the line all four years of his career. I’m not saying the A-Train isn’t among the best Michigan backs of all time. I’m just saying that a lot of Michigan’s great backs would kill to be running behind the offensive lines Michigan had from 1997-2000, and their numbers would probably reflect that. Imagine Wheatley, Biakabutuka, or Hart taking the ball off-tackle behind those two road-graters. The career rushing lists might look a little different, no?

I love the A-Train. He was a great college back. And I’m putting him at #10. You can probably guess what backs are above him (hint: look up).

Defense: Alan Branch, DT, 2004-2006

Farewell, Mr. Morelli. See you in your nightmares.

Honestly, I would probably have placed Branch in the top 10 simply for providing me with this picture. I feel warm and fuzzy inside just looking at it. That is a cold-blooded killer casually leaving the scene of the crime. Awesome.

It helps that he was actually a really good player. The numbers aren’t spectacular, so I won’t even list them, but Branch had the uncanny ability to make plays beyond what any normal DT could. He could bull his way into the backfield, chase a running back down the line, or even take off and chase down a play ten yards downfield. Hell, he even had an interception against Ohio State in 2006. He’s probably the best athlete I’ve ever seen play tackle at Michigan, and unlike his linemate Gabe Watson, he seemed to utilize the bulk of his talent.

That’s all for today. Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Thomas and Branch moments? Be sure to drop a comment, and remember that I’ll be taking submissions for your top 15 offensive and defensive players (and top five special teamers) until I’m done with the list. Post your lists in the comments, or shoot me an email at ace@thewolverineblog.com, and I’ll compile the lists for the final post alongside the lists of members of The Wolverine staff. Make sure to check back every weekday: next I post the #9 players for offense and defense.

Link to all Top 15 of the Last 15 posts

The list so far:

Offense:
15. Marquise Walker
14. Chris Perry
13. Chad Henne
12. Jerame Tuman
11. Brian Griese
10. Anthony Thomas

Defense:
15. William Carr
14. Leon Hall
13. Ian Gold
12. James Hall
11. Rob Renes
10. Alan Branch

Special Teams:
5. Zoltan Mesko
4. Marquise Walker
3. Garrett Rivas
2. Steve Breaston
1. Remy Hamilton

Similar Posts:

• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Running Backs
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Defensive Tackles
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Offense
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Defense