 | Michigan Stories & Memories Page | |
| Michigan Stories & Memories Page | |
Welcome Michigan Football fans. This page contains favorite memories, stories, and items of interest from fans and players. I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy bringing them to you. If you have a favorite memory to share or something of interest, pease e-mail me and I will try to place your comments on this page as time permits. Thanks for visiting and Go Blue! Steve
The 1977 game against Texas A&M holds a special place in my heart. It was the first of October (my favorite month of them all), and Texas A&M had a running back named George Woodard who was huge and regarded as impossible to stop. On top of that, I believe Texas A&M was ranked number one in the country (I may be mistaken about that, but I'm pretty sure they were). Anyway, it was overcast and drizzling. I remember walking behind these guys from Texas, who were wearing ten-gallon Stetsons, as they were walking toward the student end-zone entrance to the Big House. They were carrying on about how big their stadium in College Station is, and how small Michigan Stadium is. When they got through the gates and walked into the sunken-stadium, the place was packed; the fans were rockin', and, their swagger hit the floor faster than their jaws. It was beautiful. I knew then that it was going to be a great day for the Maize and Blue. Just before half-time, the Michigan band was sitting behind the Michigan bench. I was over there, mugging for the ABC TV cameras and got on TV. Then the band got up, and began to take the field. It was at that moment that I made a bold and life changing decision. I got in the middle of the herd, and went onto the field. I stopped at the Michigan bench and picked-up a football and a towel. For the entire second half, I pretended to be a ball boy. I stood next to Bo and Rick Leach on the sideline. Rick Leach told me he knew that I wasn't a ball boy, and I should stand next to him so no one would bother me!! UNBELIEVABLE…I stood there listening to the play calling; the banter; the hits; etc…It was glorious. A twelve year-old boy's dream come true. And of course, there was the storming of the field and the taking down of the goal posts. Since then, as fate would have it, every October 1st has proven to be magical. Then there is the 1989 Rose Bowl. Well, like most father-son things, this game meant the world to my dad and me. My oldest brother went to USC, and my second oldest brother went to Michigan. The tough and tainted losses to USC in the various Rose Bowl match-ups of the 1970's drove my father and me nuts. Well, in 1989, we went to the Rose Bowl game with my oldest brother - the USC grad. It of course was an amazing game. I remember after Leroy Hoard scored and Michigan won the game, my sixty-five year old father (who had smoked his entire life, and died a couple months later) ran out of the Rose Bowl with the biggest smile I have ever seen. It was vindication, and it was pure sweetness for two long suffering Michigan fans. With my father's passing just a couple months later, I sometimes reflect on that spectacular day and the incredible time we had. I was fortunate indeed… And of course, there is the 1981 Notre Dame game. I was in eleventh grade, and I played quarterback in high school. I went to the game with my good friends and sat in the student end-zone. I remember shouting at my friends and the Michigan QB that he had to call an audible…Notre Dame had foolishly decided to match a cornerback one-on-one with Anthony Carter, and they rolled the safeties up for a blitz. I screamed for the post pattern, while my friends thought I had lost my mind. At that moment, the QB called an audible and AC ran a post-pattern - catching a beautiful touchdown right in front of us!!! I still can't believe it… Then there are the Ohio State games. I remember being a young boy, and our family watching the 1973 game in Ann Arbor. At one point, my mom left the family room where we were watching the game, and went into the kitchen because she thought she was bad luck. She hollered and screamed for the Maize and Blue as she listened from the kitchen, doing her best to bring them some extra luck. It's crazy. I know. Somehow though, it adds something to the history of the series for me that I don't quite understand but I value. I guess it underscores how important, emotional, and at times, irrational The Ohio State Game is. I could never sleep the night before the game. It was worse than waiting for Santa on Christmas morning. At half-time, my friends and I would play a football game or two outside. It was all or nothing for an entire year… Well, this year, I plan on going - come hell or high water. And, if I have to bark out an audible or two for Navarre, well then, damn-it, I'm going to do it. Those are some of my valued memories of Michigan games gone by. I will let you go now. Regards, Glenn Glenn, fantastic information. I have many of the same nuances as your mother. I never thought to act as a ball boy! What an idea! I can't sleep now. I am just waiting for summer to end! Go Blue! - Steve
I have gone to the last 4 Mich-Northwestern games. When my daughter was a freshmen we went to the game in Evanston an Michigan LOST by a late fieldgoal. The next year we went to Ann Arbor and watched Michigan kick ass. The next two games were the same....a butt whipping. My daughter is in law school now in Chicago but we still go see the Wolverines play. I live 45 minutes south of Champaign-Urbana and regularly go to see Michigan beat Illinois. Yeah...I was sickened to watch UCLA beat Michigan. Were you the only Michigan fan at the UCLA game? I spent half of my life in Michigan. My medical residency done was under the University of Michigan program. I love the BIG HOUSE. People here just don't realize how fantastic a place it is. Bill Houseworth NOTE: Bill, there was thousands of Michigan fans at the UCLA game. Unfortunately we all went home tired and exhausted from the heat. It didn't help that Michigan lost. So let's remember Michigan stadium memories instead. (Steve)
After numerous deployments with the Army, the time was right to come home and in 2000, tickets were purchased for Northwestern and Michigan State. The tickets were in hand by late September. However a family emergency prevented travel back to Michigan. The tickets had to be sold quickly. I now have not been home to see Michigan play since 1992. Hopefully, this is the year I will be able to make it home as I have put aside the week before Thanksgiving to come home. Hopefully, I will be able to take my son to see Michigan play against Ohio State. Please pass your good thoughts to the one above so I may be able to make it home. Thanks! Steve
The phone rang with just over a minute left in the game. Mother in Law was calling and rather sarcastically wanted to know why Michigan was going to lose this game. I replied that there was still over a minute left and you should never count Michigan out. Well the Team proceeded to march down the field and kicked the game winning field goal. What a thrill to jump up and down in victory and to tell the Mother in Law off! Steve
What do you think? Drop me some e-mail on your feelings, comments, concerns, stories etc. at the address below.
mman3@comcast.net