For the next indeterminate amount of time, I will be counting down my top 15 offensive and defensive players from the last 15 years. Today, I unveil my picks at #3 for each side of the ball:

The coveted top three is finally here, and we’ve got a little old school (relatively speaking, of course) mixed with a little new school today. Enjoy.

Offense: Tyrone Wheatley, RB, 1991-1994

"He has the best stiff-arm I've seen in college football in a long, long time." -- Joe Paterno. When JoePa says a long time, he means a looooong time.

The first Michigan football game I ever attended was the 1994 game against Penn State (we had season tickets, but I switched off going to games with my brother, and luckily for me we sold our Colorado tickets that year). Being only six at the time, I had not watched much football before that game, but I knew enough to quickly figure out who the best Wolverine on the field was that game: #6. Although we lost (31-24, to a team that finished undefeated and featured Kerry Collins and Ki-Jana Carter) I was immediately attached to Tyrone Wheatley in the way that six-year-olds tend to be. I’d go out in the backyard with my brother and throw the football around, and I’d pretend to be Wheatley. 19 carries for 144 yards and two touchdowns will do that to a kid.

I had no idea at the time that Wheatley was a Heisman candidate, was rewriting the Michigan record books, that he very nearly went to the NFL before I had ever set foot in Michigan Stadium. I didn’t know that he was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore, rushing for 1,357 yards and 13 touchdowns on only 185 carries, for a ridiculous 7.3 yards per carry average. I didn’t know he had one of the greatest individual performances in school history in the 1993 Rose Bowl, going for 235 yards and three scores on 15 carries in a revenge victory over Washington. I had no idea he would leave Ann Arbor as Michigan’s career leader in touchdowns, 100-yard games, and 200-yard games, second in career rushing yards and yards per game, and first in single-season and single-game yards per carry (the last two records he still holds to this day). I didn’t realize he was the 1994 Big Ten 110-meter hurdles champion, or that he still holds the MHSAA Class B record in the long jump and 110 hurdles. I just knew I was watching a freak of nature, a guy who was way too fast for how big he was, but still powerful enough to run through tackles like a man playing among boys. Once again, WolverineHistorian comes through with video confirmation of what I’m trying to convey in words:

For being the best combination of power and speed to play for Michigan in the 15 years I’ve followed the team, Wheatley gets the three-spot in this countdown.

Defense: LaMarr Woodley, DE/LB, 2003-2006

I would not recommend standing between this man and his intended target. I'm looking at you, everyone on Notre Dame c. 2006.

Remember, children: Guns Don’t Kill People, LaMarr Woodley Kills People. I remember hearing horror stories from my friend who played on Huron High School’s freshman team when their varsity team traveled to Saginaw Arthur Hill to face Woodley and Co. Words like “unstoppable”, “beast”, “killer”, and any combination of the above (I like “unstoppable beast killer”) were thrown around in all seriousness. We all waited through a freshman season in which the five-star prospect mostly rode the pine, biding his time. Then came the next three seasons, and things like this happened regularly:

T-shirts were made, quarterbacks were irreparably damaged (Drew Stanton, everybody!), offensive lines were destroyed (Penn State, everybody!), and Michigan had its best pass-rusher since Mark Messner. Woodley finished his career with 24 sacks (3rd on the school list), 52.5 tackles for loss (2nd), ten forced fumbles (1st), five fumble recoveries (T-7th), and one incredible 54-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Notre Dame in 2006. His senior season, 2006, he was the superstar on a defense full of stars, the player above all others you had to prepare for when you played the Wolverines. For that, he sits at #3 on this list.

Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Wheatley and Woodley 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 #2 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
9. Tom Brady
8. Mario Manningham
7. Steve Hutchinson
6. Jake Long
5. Mike Hart
4. David Terrell
3. Tyrone Wheatley

Defense:
15. William Carr
14. Leon Hall
13. Ian Gold
12. James Hall
11. Rob Renes
10. Alan Branch
9. Marcus Ray
8. Dhani Jones
7. Jarrett Irons
6. Marlin Jackson
5. Glen Steele
4. David Harris
3. LaMarr Woodley

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: Defensive Ends
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Defense