The countdown ends with two all-time greats, one who fittingly wore the #1 jersey and one who was the first primarily-defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. Admittedly, there was little suspense as to who these two players were when I started the countdown, but I’ll be damned if that will keep me from writing about them.

Offense: Braylon Edwards, WR, 2001-2004

Other than the blindingly obvious choice for top defensive player, this was by far the easiest pick I made in this entire list. Braylon was a big play waiting to happen, a mind-blowing touchdown waiting in the wings, an “Oh %#!@” moment anticipating the most dramatic time to come forth and raise you out of your seat. Regardless of where I was, as soon as the ball left John Navarre or Chad Henne’s hand and took off on a parabolic arc towards Edwards, I would stand, ready for another SportsCenter moment. Usually, Braylon would come through.

“Our offense is based on getting the ball to our playmakers,” says coach Lloyd Carr, “and that means getting the ball to Braylon.”

The numbers are incredible: Michigan’s all-time leader in receptions (252, Marquise Walker is second with 176), receiving yards (3,541, almost 500 yards ahead of Anthony Carter), and touchdowns (39). He had 38 consecutive games with a reception, and had two different streaks of four games with over 100 yards receiving. He’s the only player in Big Ten history (and the third in Division I) to have three seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving.

“Real n*ggaz do real things,” [Edwards] says. “What I do matters, not what I say. I began coming to every meeting early, every workout early, every practice. Nobody practiced harder. Real things.”

Braylon made John Navarre look like a decent quarterback, freshman Chad Henne look like senior Chad Henne, and collegiate defensive backs look like small, pathetic children. Just throw the ball to Braylon. He’ll come down with it. When a player makes a spectacular catch over a defender, my friends and I say he “Brayloned” somebody. When it comes to Michigan football, all receivers are judged relative to Braylon. I don’t know what other praise to heap on to the man: it has all been said.

I would be remiss to not post highlights from the 2004 Michigan State game, The Braylon Game, when Edwards almost single-handedly lifted Michigan over the Spartans. I would also be remiss to not post highlights from the rest of his career. Cue WolverineHistorian, and be sure to watch this one till the end:

“Braylon became a leader,” [Carr] says. “I have never questioned his character, only his maturity. He did some growing up. I’ve said he’s become the best player in the country. Now all he has to do is prove me right.”

There’s no questioning Braylon’s talent, character, or maturity anymore. That magical 2004 season answered all questions about talent. As for his character and maturity, well, the Braylon Edwards Foundation endowed the Athletic Department a scholarship for the player who wears the #1 jersey, and Edwards has spent a ton of time and money giving back to the University and the Detroit community.

“The program will be here long after I’m gone,” Edwards says. “It’s bigger than me or any other player. You can’t fight it.”

The program will always remember Braylon Edwards, both for his contributions on the field and his generosity off of it.

Quotes taken from “The Real Thing” by Karl Taro Greenfield from Sports Illustrated’s Oct. 25, 2004 issue.

Defense: Charles Woodson, CB, 1995-1997

Charles Woodson probably could have made this list as a wideout if he so desired, or possibly even running back, the position he played in high school. Luckily for Michigan fans, he decided to play cornerback, and he decided he was going to be the best cornerback in school, if not collegiate, history.

Woodson does not hold a single season or career record at Michigan. Not one. His 18 career interceptions fall short of Tom Curtis’ 25. His 30 career pass breakups don’t come close to Leon Hall’s 43. Curtis’ 10 interceptions in 1968 bests Woodson’s 1997 mark by two. Leon Hall and Marlin Jackson both recorded three more pass breakups in a season than the 15 Woodson had his sophomore year. However, there is no doubt who is the best defensive player in school history.

All-Big Ten as a freshman, with two of his five interceptions against Ohio State in the season’s biggest game. All-American as a sophomore, with five more picks as well as a newfound penchant for offense (13 catches, 164 yards, one receiving touchdown; 6 carries, 152 yards, one rushing touchdown). Then, of course, came his junior season: unanimous, consensus All-American, Jim Thorpe Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Heisman Trophy, National Championship.

Just in case you want to see that Michigan State pick one more time:

“…he has no idea that Charles Woodson can jump 15 feet in the air…”

Woodson reached mythical status that season, and it honestly wouldn’t have shocked me to see him jump 15 feet in the air, or intercept a pass thrown 70 yards away from him, or break the sound barrier while jogging. He was Superman in cleats, and he could do no wrong on the football field. The final image of his career, that majestic, leaping interception of Ryan Leaf’s pass in the end zone in the 1998 Rose Bowl, is perfect:

Everyone — Michigan players, Washington State players, referees, coaches, fans — stand and watch in awe of Woodson as he seemingly levitates to make a picture-perfect interception and the biggest possible moment.

Braylon Edwards and Charles Woodson share the same characteristic: their careers could easily, and appropriately, be described as awe-inspiring, and even at the age of 21 I wonder whether or not I will see another Wolverine of their talent at their positions in my lifetime. There was never a question of which two players would take the one-spot on this list. These are once-in-a-generation players. I’m just glad I was part of that generation.

Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Edwards and Woodson 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 honorable mentions and other people’s lists.

Link to all Top 15 of the Last 15 posts

The list:

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
2. Tshimanga Biakabutuka
1. Braylon Edwards

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
2. Ty Law
1. Charles Woodson

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: Quarterback
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Wide Receivers
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Cornerbacks
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Offense
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Defense

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 #4 for each side of the ball:

Creepin’ towards that coveted top three. Today features another of Michigan’s fantastic wideouts and arguably the best linebacker in an era of tremendous linebackers. I’ll say this: today’s post is sponsored by the letter D. As in David. Or Dominant. Whatever you want.

Offense: David Terrell, WR, 1998-2000

David Terrell made the #1 jersey relevant again at Michigan, allowing Wolverine fans to conveniently forget the Tyrone Butterfield Experience and allow the jersey to again conjure up images of AC, Greg McMurtry (don’t sleep) and Derrick Alexander. He certainly added some flair to the #1 jersey, often to the chagrin of Lloyd Carr (I hear the man was not a fan of celebration penalties). He also was certainly the prototype receiver, 6-3, 208 with a solid second gear and great hands.

It only took two seasons of playing time for Terrell to make his mark on Michigan football and leave school solidly in the discussion for best wideout to ever step foot in the Big House. He became the first Wolverine receiver to ever record two seasons with over 1000 yards receiving, and currently sits sixth in career receptions, fourth in yards, and fifth in touchdowns despite barely playing as a freshman and leaving for the NFL after his junior year.

Anyone with doubts about Terrell’s talent needs merely to watch the highlights of his final career game of his sophomore year [ed: oops], the 2000 Orange Bowl against Alabama. The Crimson Tide will forever regret leaving him alone with single coverage on three occasions — three occasions in which the ball ended up in the end zone, held by Terrell.

Final numbers: 10 receptions, 150 yards, 3 touchdowns. That’s how you vault yourself into the top ten of the NFL Draft as a junior, as well as the top four of this here list. If not for a certain other #1, Terrell would be even higher on this list, and if he had stayed for his senior season, he’d have a solid argument for top billing. As it stands, #4 seems to be the right place for him.

Defense: David Harris, LB, 2003-2006

It’s tough to remember a Michigan player coming bursting onto the scene with more impact after a couple of years sitting, unheralded, unnoticed, on the bench. A mere three-star recruit, Harris sat behind the likes of Scott McClintock and Carl Diggs his first two years on campus, and there was little hype surrounding Harris when he took over the middle linebacker position in 2005. An 18-tackle performance against Minnesota forced everyone to notice, and his 88-tackle season let fans know that they had a quality man in the middle.

His senior season, however, surpassed the expectations of many, if not every, Wolverine fan. Harris claimed ownership of the football field from sideline to sideline, notching 96 tackles and 16 tackles for loss. It was tough to appreciate his contributions until you watched him play: he was relentless, with the rare combination of hitting ability and closing speed that makes a middle linebacker great. LaMarr Woodley was the flash up front, the edge-rushing terror, but the 2006 defense isn’t the 2006 defense without Harris standing guard in the middle. Teams simply could not get by the man:

Harris was a monster, the type of player we can only hope Obi Ezeh comes close to becoming. Despite the lack of All-American honors, anyone who watched Harris play knows he deserves this spot, if not higher.

Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Terrell and Harris 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 #4 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

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

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: Wide Receivers
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Linebackers
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Defense
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Offense
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Defense