After a nice, longer-than-expected winter vacation, I’m back to regular posting. I would have some wrap-ups on the hoops games against Indiana and Ohio State, but obligations outside my control made it so I couldn’t actually watch the games. As always, UMHoops and MGoBlogshould have you covered for basketball stuff.
With Michigan’s 2009 season wrapped up, and the “aughts” now over, I thought I would steal an idea from Dr. Saturday and have my readers vote on a Team of the Decade. Now, your votes have been tallied, so it’s time for me to reveal the Michigan Team of the Decade. First up is the offense; I’ll post up the defense tomorrow.
For position groups with more than one winner, the players are listed in order of total votes received.
Chad Henne (2004-2007): The first true freshman to start for Michigan since the legendary Rick Leach, Henne made quick work of the lion’s share of Navarre’s school records. He was named to the freshman All-American team after throwing for 2743 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first collegiate season, leading the team to a conference title and Rose Bowl bid. Although he was criticized as a sophomore after a 3-3 start (it’s not really Henne’s fault that he no longer had Braylon Edwards to throw to), he still put up impressive numbers, throwing for 2526 yards and 23 touchdowns. His finest season came as a junior, when Henne completed 61.9% of his passes, threw for 2508 yards and 22 touchdowns (to only eight interceptions), and posted an efficiency rating of 143.4. Henne struggled with injuries as a senior in 2007, but still finished his career as Michigan’s all-time leader in attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, and 150-yard passing games.
Mike Hart (2004-2007): Despite lacking the size or speed of a prototype collegiate running back, and being criticized for putting up incredible high school numbers against inferior competition, Mike Hart earned his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman and never relinquished his spot, breaking record after record along the way. Besides an injury-plagued sophomore campaign, Hart had a magnificent year every season he played for the Wolverines: 1455 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman, 1562 and 14 as a junior, and 1361 and 14 as a senior. His 5040 career rushing yards surpassed Thomas’ mark as the best in school history, as did his 28 (!) career 100-yard games, which also included 12 150-yard games and five 200-yard games (both school records). His three straight 200-yard performances as a freshman may stand as his most impressive achievement, but it was his running style — a 5′8 bowling ball in cleats, never succumbing to first contact — that endeared him to Michigan fans.
B.J. Askew (1999-2002): Askew started his career as a tailback, splitting carries with Chris Perry in his junior season before Perry proved himself capable of being a feature back in 2002. With Perry getting the lion’s share of the carries, Askew moved to fullback, where he became a dangerous option as both a runner and receiver. Askew’s best season statistically was 2001, when he rushed for over 900 yards as a tailback, but as a fullback in 2002 still managed to rush for 568 yards and six touchdowns while adding 36 catches for 280 yards and a touchdown through the air.
Braylon Edwards (2001-2004): There’s very little left to say about this man’s collegiate career that hasn’t already been said: the man now reserves the right to choose which Wolverine receiver (if any) is deserving of the #1 jersey. That should say it all. If not, here are a few moving pictures to jog your memory:
Edwards is first all-time at Michigan in every career receiving category worth mentioning.
Mario Manningham (2005-2007): Manningham earned a place in Wolverine lore early, as his game-winning touchdown reception with no time remaining in the 2005 Penn State game made him a household name (at least in Michigan) as a freshman. He finished with 27 catches for 433 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman; 38, 703, and nine as a sophomore, and capped off his career with 1174 yards and 12 touchdowns on 72 receptions as a junior. He also had one of the finest games in school history against Notre Dame in 2006, tally three scores and 137 yards on only four catches. And, since there appears to be no YouTube video of just his touchdowns in that game (a crime, if you ask me), I’ll have to settle for posting his 2007 game-winning TD against Michigan State, a play that is one of my personal favorites, since I was standing in the Spartan student section (dressed in maize, of course) when it happened:
Manningham is ninth in school history in career receptions, fifth in yards, and fourth in touchdowns.
David Terrell (1998-2000): After a quiet freshman season, Terrell earned the “1″ on his jersey in his sophomore and junior seasons before becoming one of the aforementioned top ten picks in the NFL draft. As a sophomore, Terrell hauled in 71 passes for 1038 yards and seven touchdowns, including a 10-catch, 150-yard, three-touchdown performance in the 2000 Orange Bowl against Alabama. Impressively, there was only one game in 1999 in which Terrell didn’t have a catch of at least 21 yards. The 6-3 big-play machine followed up with 67 catches for 1130 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior before deciding to go pro early. Terrell is sixth all-time at Michigan in career receptions, fourth in receiving yards, fifth in touchdowns, and fourth in 100-yard games.
Bennie Joppru (1999-2002): Joppru broke out as a senior after three years of backup duty at tight end, setting the single-season school record for catches by a tight end in 2002 with 53, going for 579 yards and five touchdowns. The sure-handed option was a first down machine, and earned AP All-America third-team honors for his record-setting performance. Joppru is fourth in career receptions for a tight end at Michigan, and ninth in career receiving yards.
Jake Long (2004-2007): We’ll go chronologically here, since there’s so much to say about Jake Long:
After redshirting in 2003, Long was living in a house shared by several U-M players in the summer of 2004 when the house caught fire at 4 am. He escaped the fire by jumping from a second-story window onto the hood of a car, covered in soot. He initially declined medical attention, but was convinced to check into the hospital, where he was treated for smoke inhalation and released two days later. Thus begins the legend of Jake Long, Badass.
After sitting behind Mike Kolodziej for the first two games of 2004, Long took over as the starting right tackle, starting eight games on the season and earning second-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches.
Long suffered an ankle injury in August 2005 that forced him to undergo surgery and have two pins inserted into his left ankle. He returned a week earlier than expected, in the eighth game of the season against Iowa. He relieved Rueben Riley at right tackle in the third possession of the first quarter, and was the lead blocker for Jerome Jackson’s game-winning touchdown run in overtime. Long suffered another leg injury two weeks later, against Indiana, and was thought to be lost for the season when he reappeared wearing a protective boot in the second half. Instead, he started the next week against Ohio State, and also the bowl game against Nebraska.
In 2006, Long moved to left tackle, starting all 13 games at the position. He was also named co-captain of the team. Long was a consensus All-American, Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and the Rader Award winner. Instead of leaving for the NFL, where he was a projected first-round draft pick, Long decided to return to Michigan. His decision was the reason Mike Hart decided to stay for his senior year.
As a senior, Long was even more dominant, again being named the Rader Award winner, Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and first-team all-conference, as well as earning the distinction of being the only unanimous 2007 All-American, and was a finalist for the Lombardi and Outland trophies.
In 2008, Long was taken with the first overall pick of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
So, yeah, not a bad career.
Jeff Backus (1997-2000): Backus, who started all 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 1997, was named All-Big Ten in all four years he played at Michigan, including consensus first-team honors in 2000. He finished his career with 49 consecutive starts, second all-time at Michigan, and was named a second-team All-American by the College Football News and ABC Sports as a senior. Backus earned the Hugh J. Rader Award as the team’s top offensive lineman in both his junior (sole winner) and senior (sharing with Steve Hutchinson and Maurice Williams) seasons. Backus was selected with the 18th pick of the first round by the Detroit Lions in the 2001 NFL Draft.
Steve Hutchinson (1997-2000): I’ll let the Bentley Historical Library take care of this one:
Steve Hutchinson capped an outstanding career with his selection as a consensus All-American in 2000 after earning first team accolades from CNN/Sports Illustrated during the 1999. Hutchinson, a two-time captain for the Wolverines, was a four-year starter and letterman at left guard. He made 45 career starts and did not allow a sack during his final two seasons. Hutchinson became the fourth player in Big Ten Conference history to be named to the All-Conference first-team all four years, joining Mark Messner as the only other Wolverine to achieve the honor. A native of Coral Springs, FL, Hutchinson was named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy Award. He was the 17th player selected in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks.
Yeah, he’s probably deserving of a spot on this team.
David Baas (2001-2004): Baas was a standout wherever he played on the line, starting 38 straight games to end his career at left guard and center. He earned first-team All-Big Ten in 2002 and 2003 at guard, then shifted over to center five games into the 2004 season. That move went well, as Baas once again was named first-team all-conference, as well as consensus All-American honors and the co-recipient of the Rimington Award, given to the nation’s top center. He is a two-time winner of the Rader Award, sharing it in 2003 and winning it outright as a senior. Baas was chosen by the San Francisco 49ers with the first pick of the second round in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Adam Kraus (2004-2007): Entering Michigan in 2003 as a tight end, Kraus took a redshirt year and bulked up to become a solid interior lineman. He started eight games at center as a redshirt sophomore, 13 games at left guard as a junior, and started all 13 games in 2007 (eight at LG, five at center). Kraus was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, earning the honor in 2006 and 2007.
The Offense, Condensed Version (including special teams, which weren’t voted upon):
QB: Chad Henne
RB: Mike Hart
FB: B.J. Askew
WR: Braylon Edwards
WR: Mario Manningham
WR: David Terrell
TE: Bennie Joppru
T: Jake Long
T: Jeff Backus
G: Steve Hutchinson
G: Adam Kraus
C: David Baas
PK: Garrett Rivas
KR: Steve Breaston
The defense will be posted tomorrow. Thanks to everyone that voted.
With Michigan’s 2009 season wrapped up, and the decade coming to a close, I thought I would steal an idea from Dr. Saturday and have my readers vote on a Team of the Decade. So, I’ve come up with a list of nominees for every position, and I’ll be posting two position groups every day for the next week, leaving it up to you to vote for who should make the team. At the end of the month, I’ll tally up the votes and reveal the team of the decade. Next up are the wide receivers:
In the last decade, Michigan has been blessed with lot of talent at wide receiver, producing two top-ten NFL draft picks and several more professional-caliber players. The list of nominees at this position is long, so I’ll dive right into the player comparisons. Vote for the best two in the poll, and the top three vote-getters will make the final team.
David Terrell (1998-2000): After a quiet freshman season, Terrell earned the “1″ on his jersey in his sophomore and junior seasons before becoming one of the aforementioned top ten picks in the NFL draft. As a sophomore, Terrell hauled in 71 passes for 1038 yards and seven touchdowns, including a 10-catch, 150-yard, three-touchdown performance in the 2000 Orange Bowl against Alabama. Impressively, there was only one game in 1999 in which Terrell didn’t have a catch of at least 21 yards. The 6-3 big-play machine followed up with 67 catches for 1130 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior before deciding to go pro early. Terrell is sixth all-time at Michigan in career receptions, fourth in receiving yards, fifth in touchdowns, and fourth in 100-yard games.
Marquise Walker (1998-2001): Walker played second-fiddle to Terrell until his senior season, when he set a then-school record with 86 catches for 1143 yards and 11 touchdowns. The sure-handed receiver also had this catch against Iowa, which may be the single most spectacular catch ever made by an offensive player at Michigan (yes, I’m referring to Charles Woodson’s INT vs. State in ‘97):
Walker sits second all-time at Michigan in receptions, seventh in yards, and ninth in touchdowns.
Braylon Edwards (2001-2004): There’s very little left to say about this man’s collegiate career that hasn’t already been said: the man now reserves the right to choose which Wolverine receiver (if any) is deserving of the #1 jersey. That should say it all. If not, here are a few moving pictures to jog your memory:
Edwards is first all-time at Michigan in every career receiving category worth mentioning. Just go ahead and check his name off at the bottom of the post already.
Jason Avant (2002-2005): Like Walker before him, Avant was a sure-handed possession receiver who was overshadowed until his senior season by a top-ten NFL talent. Avant had decently productive seasons as a sophomore and junior (47 catches for 772 yards and 38 and 447, respectively) before exploding in his senior campaign, tallying 82 catches for 1007 yards and eight touchdowns. Like Walker, Avant also owns one of the more spectacular touchdown catches in school history:
Avant is third in school history in career receptions, and eighth in career receiving yards.
Steve Breaston (2002-2005): Breaston doesn’t have the gaudy numbers of the other receivers listed here, but his ability to turn a two-yard pass into a 60-yard scamper was unparalleled. He was a dangerous guy to have in the slot, and a really nice counterpart to Edwards and Avant, taking screen passes for first downs and even handling a few snaps at quarterback. His finest season came as a senior, when he caught 58 passes for 670 yards and two touchdowns. Breaston is fifth in school history with 156 career receptions. (Note: there will be special teams categories on this team, so don’t vote Breaston in based on his talents as a kick returner.)
Mario Manningham (2005-2007): Manningham earned a place in Wolverine lore early, as his game-winning touchdown reception with no time remaining in the 2005 Penn State game made him a household name (at least in Michigan) as a freshman. He finished with 27 catches for 433 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman; 38, 703, and nine as a sophomore, and capped off his career with 1174 yards and 12 touchdowns on 72 receptions as a junior. He also had one of the finest games in school history against Notre Dame in 2006, tally three scores and 137 yards on only four catches. And, since there appears to be no YouTube video of just his touchdowns in that game (a crime, if you ask me), I’ll have to settle for posting his 2007 game-winning TD against Michigan State, a play that is one of my personal favorites, since I was standing in the Spartan student section (dressed in maize, of course) when it happened:
Manningham is ninth in school history in career receptions, fifth in yards, and fourth in touchdowns.
Adrian Arrington (2004-2007): Arrington did not make an impact at Michigan until 2006, after getting a medical redshirt during his sophomore season. In 2006, he caught 40 passes for 544 yards and eight touchdowns. The big possession receiver followed with 67 receptions for 882 yards and eight touchdowns in his redshirt junior year, including a nine-catch, 153-yard, two-touchdown performance in the Capital One Bowl upset over Florida, which featured two highlight-reel grabs (one, and two). He left for the NFL along with Manningham after the 2007 season with one year of eligibility remaining.
Career Stats:
Receptions
Yards
Yards/Reception
Touchdowns
David Terrell (1998-2000)
152
2317
15.2
23
Marquise Walker (1998-2001)
176
2269
12.9
17
Braylon Edwards (2001-2004)
252
3541
14.1
39
Jason Avant (2002-2005)
169
2247
13.3
13
Steve Breaston (2003-2006)
156
1696
10.9
10
Mario Manningham (2005-2007)
137
2310
16.9
27
Adrian Arrington (2005-2007)
109
1438
13.2
16
Who are your wide receivers of the decade (pick two)?
The tremendous boredom of the summer months has reached its apex, and I am left to come up with content when there is little to nothing going on in the Michigan sports scene. Luckily, U-M has an amazing database of historical content. The Bentley Historical Library is an incredible resource on Wolverine history, and also a bona-fide time-waster. I love looking through the old team photos … it’s basically like checking out your parents’ high school yearbooks, except with more famous people and without the stigma of looking through your parents’ high school yearbooks. Anyways, I’ve decided to click to a random year and find the most awesome/silly/ridiculous-looking player for that year, and then dig up what I can find on said player’s career at Michigan.
As I was looking at the 1997 team photo for the previous post, I noticed a young Tom Brady looking quite silly in the middle of the photo:
Better hide this one from Gisele.
I realize Brady wasn’t a freshman in 1997, but the shock of seeing him from 14 years ago made me want to dig through the archives and check out the freshman photos of past Michigan greats.
Braylon Edwards
Tyrone Wheatley
Desmond Howard
Jamie Morris
Jim Harbaugh
Anthony Carter
Rick Leach
Butch Woolfolk
Ron Simpkins
Bob Chappuis
Tom Harmon
Benny Friedman
Wow, they grow up so fast. Not included in the gallery because of the tiny picture size was this photo of Charles Woodson, circa 1995:
He spots a Heisman in the distance.
That’s all until the next installment. Hit the tag for the rest of the Fun With Team Photos series, if you’re like me and have nothing better to do with your summer.
The Top 15 of the Last 15 series, which looked at the best 15 players on each side of the ball from 1994-2008, has come to its conclusion. For those who missed the final post, here is my list in its entirety:
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
Because it’s the summer, and I have nothing better to do, I put together another video. This one highlights the top players on offense and defense, Braylon Edwards and Charles Woodson:
Sweet. After the jump, I’ll list my honorable mentions, and post the Top 15 lists of The Wolverine writers Michael Spath and Matt Pargoff.
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
When people can refer to a game simply by saying, "The (Your Name) Game" you have reached legendary status."
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
A familiar sight for Michigan fans: Charles Woodson making a spectacular interception.
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.
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
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 #8 for each side of the ball:
Back in Ann Arbor now, so no worries about crappy connections or draining batteries. On with the show…
Offense: Mario Manningham, WR, 2005-2007
It speaks to Manningham’s big play ability that I had a very hard time deciding what picture/YouTube video combination to put up with this post. Between Penn State 2005, Notre Dame 2006, and Michigan State 2007, Super Mario has created three seminal moments (or in the case of ND 2006, three individual seminal moments inside one larger seminal moment) for me as a Wolverine fan. Then I decided, why choose when you have photo editing software and there’s no limit to the number of YouTube videos I can embed in a post?
With one critical slant route, Mario Manningham introduced himself to the Wolverine faithful in the midst of an otherwise dreadful 2005 season.
With three torchings of the Notre Dame secondary, Mario Manningham introduced himself to the sporting world at large in a much less dreadful 2006 season.
With a spectacular leaping grab in the end zone against Michigan State, Mario Manningham shut up a whole bunch of obnoxious Spartan fans and capped another glorious comeback against Little Brother in 2007.
I was in the State student section (aka the seventh circle of Hell) for that one, and I have never heard a more beautiful silence in my 21 years on Earth.
The man had the most ferocious double move that I’ve ever seen at the college level, adjusted to the deep ball as well as any receiver not named Braylon Edwards, and had that Riceian ability to never get caught from behind despite not having elite-level speed. He had a flair for the dramatic. He was the rock that held together the Michigan offense in 2007 when Henne and Hart couldn’t stay healthy. Seriously, look it up. 72 receptions (6th on the Michigan single-season list), 1,174 yards (2nd), 12 touchdowns (6th), had six consecutive 100-yard games (a school record) and six consecutive games with a touchdown (5th). No wonder he came out early. And no wonder he’s No. 8 on this list.
Defense: Dhani Jones, LB, 1996-1999
Back before Dhani Jones was known more for tackling the globe (he hosts a show on the Travel Channel) than tackling running backs, he was a damn good linebacker for Michigan. He was thrown into the fire as a sophomore, taking over for injured captain Eric Mayes just three games into the season.
He responded well. Despite playing sparingly in the first three games, he had his best season statistically, finishing with 90 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and six sacks. On that defense, you had to work to find 90 tackles to make, and Dhani found a way to make a huge impact.
To me, Jones got screwed out of all-conference honors in his final three years at Michigan. From the inside linebacker position, he put up 90, 72 and 81 tackles with 9, 11, and 13 tackles for loss in his sophomore-senior years on defenses with very good linebackers (I won’t comment on the 1998-1999 secondary). Jones was put into a tough situation, forced to hold it down in the middle after a beloved and skilled captain went down with a career-ending injury, and it’s tough to think of anyone handling the pressure as well as he did. For that, he comes in at No. 8 for me.
Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Manningham and Jones 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 #7 players for offense and defense.
For the next three weeks, I will be counting down my top 15 offensive and defensive players from the last 15 years. This afternoon, I unveil my picks at #13 for each side of the ball:
Offense: Chad Henne, QB, 2004-2007
Either Chad Henne is celebrating a score or doing his best Touchdown Jesus impression. I'll leave it up to you to decide.
There have been few players who have sparked more internal debate among Michigan fans than Chad Henne. Some think he was a truly great quarterback whose only downfall was injuries. Others think he was obnoxiously inconsistent and his success was more a product of great receivers than good quarterbacking. I have always been a staunch Henne supporter, although fair points are made for either side.
Perhaps the angriest I’ve ever been at other fans in the student section (and this is saying something, believe me) was during the Oregon debacle in 2007. After a Henne pick, some idiots started chanting “We Want Mallett.” I’m going to go ahead and assume these kids had just stepped stepped off the plane from LaGuardia (their BMWs would be arriving by truck … god forbid they would actually have to drive those things), didn’t know Desmond Howard from Dan Dierdorf, and couldn’t spell Schembechler if you spotted them the first 11 letters. The fans got their wish when Henne went down with a leg injury, and Mallett rewarded them by going 6-17 for 49 yards and an interception. Fickle fans were already giving up on their senior quarterback, the four-year starter who was coming off an 11-2 season in which he had posted the fifth-most passing touchdowns in school history (behind himself, Elvis Grbac, John Navarre, and … himself) for a hotshot true freshman who had already had run-ins with the coaching staff and players on the team (he would later add the police to that list).
Here’s the issue: Mallett was a cocky, personable gunslinger from Texas who seemed to make it to every hot-spot on campus within his first couple weeks in Ann Arbor. Henne was a quiet, reserved passer from Pennsylvania who gave up partying to focus on school and work towards making the NFL. If you wanted to find Henne, you would try to figure out his class schedule. If you wanted to find Mallett, all you had to do was go to Scorekeepers on a Saturday night. (If you can’t tell by now, I’m not a big Mallett fan, and I have very solid reasons not to be that go far beyond his on-field play). The students. and many of the alumni, were drawn to Mallett as the future of Michigan football, and forgot that Chad Henne was the present.
I’m not even going to spend time going down the numbers. We all know Henne rewrote the record book for quarterbacks at Michigan. I will say this: when Michigan needed a big drive, whether Henne was healthy or not, I was confident that he would come through. He made sound decisions, fought through injuries (please refer to Illinois, 2007), and knew how to get the ball to his playmakers (see: Edwards, Braylon and Manningham, Mario). Last season especially made me appreciate him even more, as I had become accustomed to not worrying about the quarterback position for the previous four years (in non-Mallett games, anyway).
Fans often point to the 2004 Michigan State game as Henne’s shining moment, but I think his performance at Spartan Stadium in 2007 was even more impressive. Henne had sat out the previous game with a shoulder injury, and was not close to 100% when he took the field. However, none of that affected his performance in a game that Michigan desparately wanted to win. He threw two first-half strikes for touchdowns, and Michigan went into halftime up 14-3.
However, Michigan’s offense went stagnant in the second half, and State scored 21 unanswered points. Down 24-14 midway through the fourth, Henne turned his ankle, but only sat for one play (a play in which Mallett fumbled and had to be bailed out by Mike Hart). Henne came back in, swiftly moved Michigan down to the Spartan 14, and then threw the prettiest pass I’ve ever seen. Standing with a friend in the State student section (it’s as bad as you think), we had the perfect view and Henne dropped back and tossed a perfect floater that appeared to drop from the sky right into the hands of Greg Mathews for a touchdown. 24-21. Despite needing a stop and another score, victory seemed inevitable. The defense stuffed MSU, Henne marched the team down to the Spartan 31, and on third-and-12, he lofted another beauty to Mario Manningham, who leaped and came down with the winning score. Highlights? Yes, please.
That game, to me, defined Chad Henne. The numbers weren’t necessarily gaudy, apart from the four touchdowns (18-33, 211 yards, four TDs and one interception), but anyone who saw that game watched a senior leader taking control in a bad situation. The quotes after the game say it all:
Mike Hart: “Chad won the game for us. It should quiet the naysayers because no other quarterback could’ve led a comeback like that.”
Lloyd Carr: “If you want to define courage, one way to do it is mention Chad Henne.”
MSU head coach Mike Dantonio: “I give credit to Henne. He went up top and hit it.”
Hart: “Sometimes, you get your little brother excited when you’re playing basketball — let them get the lead. And then you come back.” (Oops, how did that get in there?)
There’s not much to add there, and I’ve gone on far too long. Chad Henne, #13. I’m sure this one will spark some healthy debate.
Defense: Ian Gold, LB, 1996-1999
There is a tremendous lack of Ian Gold pictures that don't require a microscope to properly see. Photo courtesy of Mike DeSimone.
The third of the Michigan linebackers with cool metallic names (after Jarrett Irons and Sam Sword), Ian Gold started as a decent in-state running back prospect before turning into an All-Big Ten inside linebacker. Teaming up with the likes of Sword, Dhani Jones, Victor Hobson and James Hall, Gold helped Michigan field one of the most impressive linebacking corps in the country.
The local prospect came into Michigan as a running back, having rushed for 934 yards and 21 touchdowns on only 108 carries as a senior at Belleville High School. However, he carried the ball only three times as a freshman, while making a greater impact as a special teams player. Gold earned a spot on the field as a linebacker as a sophomore during the 1997 season, playing in all 12 games while making 34 tackles (24 solo), including the flipping of The Notorious Ryan Leaf pictured above.
Despite missing four of the first five games in his junior season, Gold moved into the starting lineup and made a big impact, leading the team in tackles in his first two games back from injury. Even with the missed time, he finished with 68 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks in 1998, and was named second-team All-Big Ten by the media. Gold even moved into the Michigan record books, taking his first career interception back 46 yards for a touchdown against Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl, the longest interception return in Michigan bowl history.
Gold really stepped up as a senior, teaming up with Jones to form a frightening duo of senior inside linebackers. Gold stuffed the stat sheet, amassing a career-high 98 tackles, 10 TFLs, four sacks, two pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery en route to being named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches. Gold was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Penn State after he tallied 11 tackles, three TFLs and two sacks and sealed the game by recovering his own forced fumble in the final minutes. He also set up the game-tying score in Michigan’s 24-17 win over Ohio State by picking off Joe Germaine.
Despite starting only 21 career games, Gold is worthy of a spot on this list for his emergence in his final two years and his consistent playmaking ability. He wasn’t the flashiest linebacker, but Gold was as solid as they come.
Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Henne and Gold 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) for the next three weeks. 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: tomorrow I post the #12 players for offense and defense.
Starting, well, today, and continuing for the next three weeks, I will be counting down my top 15 offensive and defensive players from the last 15 years. This afternoon, I start with #15 for each side of the ball:
Offense: Marquise Walker, WR, 1998-2001
Walker often made the spectacular look routine. This catch falls into the "making the spectacular look spectacular" category.
Marquise Walker was perhaps the best pure possession receiver I’ve had the pleasure of watching at Michigan. Although he wasn’t the world’s biggest deep threat (his career yards per catch average is only 12.9), number four in blue reeled in practically everything thrown in his general direction.
After being overshadowed by David Terrell in his first three years on campus, Walker cemented his place among the Wolverines’ all-time great receivers with an All-American senior campaign in 2001. “Keese” decided the U-M record book needed a little updating, and he set single-season records for receptions (86 — since passed by Braylon Edwards), receiving yards (1143 — now surpassed by Edwards and Mario Manningham), and 100-yard receiving games (6, now held by, you guessed it, Edwards and Manningham), while also setting the single-game mark for receptions (15 against Washington and Ohio State — strangely, both came in a losing effort) and extending his consecutive games with a catch streak to 36, another school record.
That season catapulted him to the top of the Wolverine career receptions list (176, and if I have to tell you which player bested his mark, go watch some tape from the 2004 season) and earned him first-team All-America honors from the coaches. Oh yeah, and he made this catch (apologies for the poor video and sound quality — I am at the mercy of the YouTubes):
Not too shabby, if you ask me. In fact, his ability at wide receiver and on punt coverage forced me to put him on two lists. Walker was as consistent a wideout as I have seen at Michigan, and his performance in his senior year replacing Terrell (who left a year early for the NFL) as the team’s go-to receiver earned him a place in Wolverine history and a spot on this list.
Defense: William Carr, DT, 1993-1996
Celebrating, Big Willie Style (What's that you say? Outdated joke? Got old in 1997? Whatever.)
He may have been undersized (in height, not girth) but William Carr could move the pile with the best of them. After playing sparingly as a freshman and sophomore, Carr burst onto the scene with a huge junior campaign in 1995, recording 82(!) tackles, including 21 TFLs and 6 sacks. Read that again: 82 tackles from the nose tackle position. Absurdity. Carr was a playmaker at DT, something that doesn’t come around too often.
Carr’s senior year numbers were nearly as gaudy as those from 1995 (78 tackles, 15 TFLs, 3 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and even 2 pass breakups), and he was recognized for his outstanding effort with first-team All-Big Ten honors (coaches and media) and first-team All-America honors (College Football News).
Carr was so athletic for a big man that Lloyd Carr gave him the chance to be a goal-line running back, and experiment that yielded mixed results. Big Will scored on his first career carry, a three-yard plunge against Michigan State in 1995. However, he was stuffed twice against Purdue that same season, and his only other career carry, at Purdue in 1996, was a disaster. Down 3-0 to the Boilermakers late in the first half, the Wolverines drove from their own 13-yard line down to the Purdue two-yard line. On first-and-goal, Carr fumbled, and Purdue would go on to win 9-3, securing their first victory over U-M since 1982 and ruining the Wolverines’ Rose Bowl hopes.
However, we’re talking about defense here, and William Carr could play himself some defense. He was a matchup nightmare, a guy who could take on two blockers and still find a way to stuff the running back behind the line of scrimmage or turn your quarterback into Flat Stanley. Carr was one the few defensive tackles that would command my attention for entire plays, and sometimes, entire series. Even as I’m writing this, I feel like I’m underrating the guy, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to reconfigure my list for the 37th time. So, I give you William Carr, number 15 with a bullet.
Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Walker and Carr 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) for the next three weeks. 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: tomorrow I post the #14 players for offense and defense.
Rivals analyst Tom Deinhart thinks Rich Rodriguez is the second-best coach in the Big Ten
Football:
Ferentz tops Rodriguez for top spot in Big Ten coaching rankings — SI — Rivals analyst Tom Deinhart, writing for SI.com, ranks Michigan’s coach one spot ahead of Jim Tressel. Personally (and I know this is blasphemy) I’d flip Tressel and Ferentz in his rankings. Something Wolverine fans can all agree on: Dantonio is too high at #5. Just because. Jerk.
Michigan Announces Alumni Football Game Roster — MGoBlue — The whole list is out now, courtesy of Michigan’s official site. Also, some notable non-participants will be in attendance: Steve Breaston, Mike Hart, Jon Jansen, and Super Bowl Champs LaMarr Woodley, Ryan Mundy and Larry Foote, who will be honored for their accomplishment on Saturday.
Five Big Ten players on Lott Trophy watch list — ESPN — Brandon Graham heads the list of nominees for the Big Ten. The award recognizes the impact defensive player of the year, “who reflects integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity.” I’m pretty sure “Tenacity” is BG’s middle name.
National Notebook: Clay coming into his own — Rivals — Rivals recruiting editor Jeremy Crabtree takes a look at 2010 four-star running back prospect Brennan Clay of San Diego Scripps Ranch, a former teammate of Tate Forcier and a current target of Michigan. He is trying to make it up to campus for the spring game, and states that Michigan sits in his top five.
Two major hurdles for Edwards-to-Giants trade — Pro Football Talk — PFT addresses the rumors that Braylon Edwards will be shipped to the New York Giants. Right now, the major issues are the Browns asking price and Braylon’s contract demands, both of which are too high for the Giants as it stands right now.
Basketball:
Rivals.com early preseason top 25 — Rivals — Michigan comes in at No. 18, and looks to only move up from there, as the poll assumes all undeclared underclassmen (say that three times fast) will not enter the NBA draft. I’m having a tough time weathering my expectations, but the Big Ten looks to be really tough next year, with Purdue coming in at No. 4, MSU at No. 5, and Ohio State No. 15. Minnesota and Illinois also make the top 25, at No. 21 and No. 25, respectively.
Report Card: Laval Lucas-Perry — UM Hoops — Another report card from Dylan, another link from me. Michigan hoops fans should really be following the guy’s site. LLP struggled with high expectations after a blazing-hot start this season, but I expect to at the very least become a solid role player if (when?) he finds the consistent shooting stroke that practice observers rave about.
Hockey:
Rogers named AHL Man of the Year — aeroes.com — Former Michigan defenseman and current Houston Aeroes player Brandon Rogers earned the AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding service to the Houston community. It’s always great to see a former Wolverine making such a great impact on his community and representing his school in the best way possible. [HT: The Blog That Yost Built]
"When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing."
- Bo Schembechler
“I ask no man to make a sacrifice. On the contrary! We ask
him to do the opposite. To live clean, come clean, think clean.
That he stop doing all the things that destroy him physically,
mentally and morally, and begin doing all the things that make him keener, finer and more competent" - Fielding Yost
“People come up to me and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ I’m not sorry because I received the greatest thing from the University of Michigan anyone can receive: a degree.” - Zia Combs
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