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:
[end_columns]
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.
After several weeks and a lot of contemplation, my Top 15 of the Last 15 list is over. Now I want your input. Either write a comment on this post or send me an email (ace@thewolverineblog.com) with your own Top 15 list. The rules are simple, and as follows:
15 players each for offense and defense. 5 players for special teams.
Players must have played at least one season from 1994-2008
You are allowed to double up on players for special teams (for instance, I have Marquise Walker on both my offense list and special teams list)
That’s it. Pretty simple, right? I’ll be compiling the reader vote into a single, superfan list, and posting it along with the lists of a couple writers from The Wolverine itself. I might post individual fan lists as well if there are enough and certain lists stand out. For comparison, here is my list, once again:
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
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.
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 #2 for each side of the ball:
As the countdown nears its conclusion, we reach the point where you can probably deduce the top athletes on each side of the ball. However, this is about the runner-ups, who were both great players in their own right (obviously). Without further ado, let me introduce the rest of my crew.
Offense: Tshimanga Biakabutuka, RB, 1993-1995
Despite spending 2/3 of his career as a backup to Tyrone Wheatley, I can’t do anything but put “Touchdown Tim” ahead of the man who kept him from the starting role for his freshman and sophomore campaigns. Why? Well, for one, if there was a single Michigan jersey I’d like to own, it’d be a #21 home blue with “Biakabutuka” on the back. Second, and much more importantly (unless you really care about my jersey preferences), he had the greatest season of any running back in school history as a junior, as well as arguably the best single-game performance of any player in the last 15 years.
Even as a freshman, Biakabutuka showed flashes of what was to come despite being the low man in a crowded backfield behind Wheatley, Ricky Powers, Ed Davis and Walter Smith. In the ninth game of the season, against Purdue, he exploded for 140 yards and two touchdowns after amassing all of five career yards in two previous appearances. As a sophomore, despite playing behind a bonafide Heisman candidate, Biakabutuka forced Gary Moeller to give him carries. Tim would finish the 1994 season with 793 yards and seven touchdowns on 126 carries, and had four 100-yard games despite going over 20 carries in a game only once on the year.
All that set the table for his junior season. After getting only seven carries in the opener against Virginia when Michigan had to claw its way back from a 17-0 deficit, Biakabutuka went nuts. His final 1995 numbers: 303 carries, 1818 yards, 6.0 yards per carry, 12 touchdowns, eight 100-yard games, four 190-yard games (yes, 190-yard), two-200 yard games. Oh, and a 313-yard game:
The fact that Biakabutuka’s performance came against Ohio State, a perfect 11-0 and ranked #2 coming into the Big House, boasting the nation’s top player in running back Eddie George (the eventual Heisman winner), vaults the game into the forefront of every Wolverine fan’s consciousness when they think of the best games by a Michigan player. I don’t want to discredit the rest of his tremendous career by saying that one game pushed him past all the other great Wolverine backs of the past 15 years, but it’s also tough to say it didn’t. Regardless, I will argue that Touchdown Tim is the best running back of the past 15 years at Michigan, and for that, he gets the #2 spot on this list.
Defense: Ty Law, CB, 1992-1994
Before that Woodson guy rolled through, Ty Law was the best corner to ever play at Michigan, and it’s a bit unfortunate for his legacy that his career was immediately followed by the eventual Heisman-winner. Talk about stealing a guy’s thunder (not that I’m complaining one bit, Charles). Like Woodson, Law was also a three-year starter at corner, a multiple-time All-Big Ten selection, an All-American, and an early-entry into the NFL Draft.
Law was a tremendous physical corner, using his 6-0, 201 pound frame to bully wideouts off their routes and gain position to knock down or intercept the ball. The numbers are good (19 career pass breakups, eight career interceptions), but you really had to watch #22 to appreciate his full impact. Like Woodson and Marlin Jackson after him, opposing quarterbacks chose to throw anywhere but at Law, so he earned every one of those stats. He also was great in run support, finishing with 164 career tackles despite not giving up completions to his man.
Ty Law was the complete package at corner, a big guy who could run with the fast wideouts and play physical with the big ones, adept at pass coverage and run support. Fittingly, he slots in at #2 on this list, one spot behind the corner who supplanted him (what, you really expected me to hold up the suspense on that one?).
Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Biakabutuka and Law 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 #1 players for offense and defense.
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
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
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 #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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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 #5 for each side of the ball:
The countdown gets serious today as we hit the top five, featuring one of the most popular players in Michigan history and one of the anchors of the national title team.
Offense: Mike Hart, RB, 2004-2007
I honestly don’t even know how to start this. My wall is adorned with a two-of-a-kind giant poster of the Sports Illustrated cover with Mike Hart on it, signed by the man himself, “To Ace, Go Blue, Mike Hart 20″ (bit of a long story behind that). I own a “Hart for Heisman” shirt bought from a vendor outside the Union, and I still wear it with pride. I have witnessed a grown man cry with joy after a Mike Hart run (another long story). I’ve met the man personally more than a couple times. This is not bragging — I’m simply explaining why I will never be able to talk about the man in an unbiased, non-effusive fashion.
Mike Hart goes way beyond the numbers. Yes, he’s the all-time leading rusher at Michigan by a nearly-600-yard margin. Yes, he averaged 117.2 yards per game during his career, another school record. He had five career 200-yard games, 12 career 150-yard games and 28 career 100-yard games. He went 1005 touches without losing a fumble. Read that last sentence again. One-thousand-and-five consecutive times, a 5-7 running back playing in one of the toughest conferences in college football took the ball in his hands and made sure his team kept possession. So yes, the numbers are incredible. However, Mike Hart’s legacy is that he inspired this kind of reverence from Michigan fans:
Hart will go down as a legend at Michigan despite never being an All-American (a travesty, in my opinion). He came to the rescue of the Michigan offense more times than I can count: saving us from a season of David Underwood as a freshman, rushing for over 200 yards against Michigan State in 2004 (yes, the Braylon Game, so people forget how well he played), being simply unstoppable against Ohio State in 2006, picking up that Ryan Mallett fumble against State in 2007 and turning a potentially game-ending blunder into a first down. Oh, and he ran for 110 yards in that State game while hurt. That’s Mike Hart. That’s why he’s fifth on this list, despite being “too small” to succeed at the I-A level, “too slow” to be a starting running back, just some three-star from a terrible high school league in upstate New York. Just ask any Michigan fan about Mike Hart, and you’ll know why he’s placed here.
Defense: Glen Steele, DE, 1994-1997
Charles Woodson spearheaded the 1997 Michigan defense. We all know this. But Glen Steele was nearly as important, the anchor of the front seven, a terror coming off the edge with the strength and quickness to be a force against the run and the pass. He showed this right from the beginning of his senior campaign, recording four tackles for loss against Colorado, including two sacks, and basically living in the Buffalo backfield as U-M started their title season with a 27-3 dominant victory.
Steele was consistent, tallying a tackle for loss in all but one game during that 1997 season. He finished with seven sacks, and he came through in big games, recording a sack against Penn State and two more against Ohio State on top of a fumble recovery (pictured above). He finished his career as an All-American, and sits fifth of the career tackles for loss list, tied for third in career sacks, and seventh in fumble recoveries. He had a nose for the big play, and due to the exploits of Woodson and the lack of an impactful pro career, he gets overlooked. Not here, however. The most ferocious man up front on a team with one of the greatest defenses of our generation gets the five slot on this list.
Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Hart and Steele 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.
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
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
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:
A couple of personal favorites today as we hurtle towards the top five. Fasten your seatbelts, ladies and gentlemen.
Offense: Jake Long, OT, 2004-2007
Jake Long. Freshman All-American. Three-time All-Big Ten selection. Two-time consensus All-American. Two-time Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. Outland Trophy finalist. Lombardi Award finalist. Two-time team captain. No. 1 overall draft pick. The reason we ran stretch left so damn much. Owner of the most intimidating tribal tattoo in the Big Ten. All these accolades amassed despite missing most of his sophomore season.
To watch Jake Long play tackle was to witness dominance at its purest form. He started 40 career games (including 30 straight to end his career) and gave up two (two!) sacks, one of which was to Vernon Gholston, a future top-five pick (and I have a few questions about his, shall we say, chemical integrity). He didn’t commit a penalty during his senior season. I’ve never heard Lloyd Carr be this effusive about a player:
“I had one of the most respected coaches in the NFL say to me at Michigan’s (March 14) pro day, ‘In my experience, there aren’t many can’t-miss guys. Jake Long is a can’t-miss guy,’ ” former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr says, without identifying the coach. “I coached 30 years in the Big Ten Conference. What I would say about Jake Long is, there’s always a lot of discussion about, ‘Who is the greatest football player you ever saw at Michigan?’ “Jake Long belongs in that discussion.”
“Jake Long belongs in that discussion.”
Why is that?
“There’s nothing that he lacks,” Carr says. “He’s a great competitor, a great leader, and has great unselfishness. He is tough, extremely smart and has great, great pride. He wants to win every down.”
I started going to Michigan in the fall of 2006, and I’ve seen a lot of football players walking around campus. No player commanded the wide berth that Jake Long did. He is a strikingly imposing person, 6-7, 315, that tattoo wrapping around an arm that is easily twice as wide as my leg. If he was standing in my room as I wrote this right now, he would shoot up to No. 1 on this list. Just ask former Florida DE Derrick Harvey (the No. 8 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft) what it’s like to be in close quarters with Long:
That didn’t look very fun. I’m pretty sure nobody enjoyed facing Jake Long during his illustrous four-year career at Michigan. He edges out Steve Hutchinson on my list because he plays a more important position and was not surrounded by the offensive line talent Hutch was. No. 6, unless he shows up at my house.
Defense: Marlin Jackson, CB/S, 2001-2004
Other than the immortal Charles Woodson, I’ve never seen a better lockdown corner don the Maize and Blue than Marlin Jackson. If not for one wasted season at safety as a junior, he’d probably be higher on this list. With 34 career pass breakups, he sits third all-time in Michigan’s record book, and when you factor in how little teams threw at him, that figure (along with his nine career interceptions) is remarkable. According to Jackson’s All-American page on Michigan’s football history website, opposing teams threw away from him almost 87 percent of the time as a senior. Receivers just did not get open when he covered them. He was an All-American as both a sophomore and a senior, and in all likelihood would have been a three-time All-American if not for the ill-fated safety experiment.
Jackson’s finest moment, in my mind, came when he was only a sophomore, playing in the opener against ninth-ranked Washington. The Huskies featured quarterback Cody Pickett and wideout Reggie Williams, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. That game will forever be remembered for the Phillip Brabbs Redemption Kick, but Marlin turned in a career performance. Yes, Williams finished with six catches for 72 yards. However, not one of those catches went for a touchdown, and Jackson broke up a Wolverine single-game record six passes. Teams quickly learned that it wasn’t worth it to try to throw his way, regardless of how good the receiver was.
If that wasn’t his best game, than the 2004 Purdue game certainly is in the discussion. Purdue came into the game with a potent aerial attack, highlighted by receiver Taylor Stubblefield, who would eventually break the NCAA career receptions record. Marlin shadowed him all game, giving up only one reception for ten yards. Again, his effort was overshadowed by another huge play late in the game, this time Ernest Shazor’s hit on Dorien Bryant that forced a fumble and sealed the game for Michigan.
Jackson was so good you often didn’t notice him, which places him in the category just behind the likes of Woodson (so good you notice him even though the other team avoids him like the plague). For that, he earns the No. 6 spot on this list.
Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Long and Jackson 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 #5 players for offense and defense.
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
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
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:
Today, we move into the top half of the Top 15 list. In the spirit of Ed McMahon (R.I.P.): Heeeeeeeere’s … me.
Offense: Steve Hutchinson, G, 1997-2000
It takes a lot to be noticed for your interior line play, but it was impossible not to notice Steve Hutchinson dominate opponents during his four yeras as a stalwart starting guard for Michigan. Here is the comprehensive list of Big Ten players to be named first-team all-conference all four years they played:
Dick Barwegan, G, Purdue, 1943-1946
Ray Stackhowitz, P, Michigan State, 1977-1980
Mark Messner, DL, Michigan, 1985-1988 Steve Hutchinson, G, Michigan, 1997-2000
I could probably just end the article right there, especially after also mentioning that Hutch also was named first-team All-American in his final two seasons, during which he didn’t give up a single sack. Beast does not begin to describe Steve Hutchinson. In terms of ability compared to other players at his position, he is one of the best players, period, to ever come through Ann Arbor. I am probably underrating him by those standards, but, you know, he’s an interior offensive lineman, and there’s only so much impact a guard can have on a game. Admittedly, that impact is probably greater than the average football fan thinks it is, but I’d still rather have a historically great quarterback or running back, especially at the college level, than an equivalent guard. That’s just how it is.
Back to Hutchinson. As stated in the Anthony Thomas article, the A-Train should probably be sending the big guy Rolexes by FedEx each month, except for the fact that Hutchinson can probably afford a few Rolexes himself. Here’s a Thomas touchdown run from 1997 against Ohio State. Watch the left guard (Hutchinson). Watch how far back he pushes his man. This is on a two-yard touchdown run.
That was Hutchinson as a redshirt freshman. He only got better. I rest my case.
Defense: Jarrett Irons, LB, 1993-1996
Sometimes numbers don’t do justice to a player’s impact. That is not the case with Jarrett Irons. First of all, he missed all of one start his last three years. He appeared in all 49 games Michigan played in his four-year career. He had 100+ tackles in his final three seasons. His freshman year? 95 tackles. He tallied 29 career tackles for loss as an inside linebacker. He had 19 career pass breakups, good for ninth on Michigan’s career list. Oh, and his 449 career tackles sits behind only Ron Simpkins in the Wolverine record books.
Irons ushered in an era of tremendous Wolverine linebackers, supplanted by the likes of Gold, Jones, Hall, Hobson, and Foote. However, he was the best of the bunch in that period. He was a two-time All-Big Ten selection (and probably deserved a third) as well as a two-time team captain, and he named first-team All-American as a senior. I don’t have much to add to this. All-Americans tend to speak for themselves. Irons lands at #7, and if he keeps staring at me like that, he may just get placed higher.
Agree? Disagree? Want to share your favorite Hutchinson and Irons 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 #6 players for offense and defense.
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
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
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.
Alex on 
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