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The Day Bo Died
Published: July 21, 2009
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November 17, 2006: The morning began with anticipation since it was the eve before the only No. 1 vs No. 2 game in the storied rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State.
I had just made the road trip with some friends and my son to watch Michigan beat Indiana at IU the weekend before. I thought Michigan had a good chance to win but was worried about the new grass and of course with the game being in Columbus.
Still, it was a beautiful sunny fall day and I was heading to meet some clients for a one o’clock meeting. Before I left I checked Brian Cook’s blog at Mgoblog to get any last updates before the big game.
Brian has just gotten a report that Bo had again collapsed at the local Detroit ABC station just like he had done a couple of weeks before. I will never forget Brian’s last words on his post.
Please Bo, make it one more day.
I got into the car not too worried, since Bo had done this before and had always gotten through it. I turned on the radio to listen to some national radio for views on the game. Jim Rome was talking about in the NFL, when he got the news brief that legendary Michigan coach Bo Schemblecher had died of a heart attack.
I was stunned. But why? I knew he had collapsed and I also knew he wasn’t in good health. Why was I surprised?
I also was taking this very personally. Bo was not a relative, he was a Michigan football coach that I thought ran the ball way too much in his final years of coaching. Why did this have such an effect on me? Why now before the most important rivalry game that he helped build with Woody?
I started thinking about my interactions with Bo. I had met Bo a couple of times, he was always nice and had something nice to say for the few seconds I had with him. The last time I saw him was in the Michigan golf course parking lot maybe five or six years before he died. I was putting on my shoes and Bo walked by my car. I said hello and he said hello and Go Blue.
One of my fondest memories of Bo has to do with the play on the right hand side bar of the blog. A good friend of mine ran the MDen at Briarwood mall for many years. Bo would often come to the MDen for book signings. So my friend Dave got to spend a lot of time with him.
I had always loved the play on the right, not for the long last second touchdown pass the AC to win the game but the play before. Having the Michigan running back throw the ball out of bounds, right to Lee Corso was one of the funniest plays I had ever seen. He was trying to stop the clock and knew he couldn’t make it to the sideline, so he threw the ball right to Lee, who was IU’s head coach at the time. I’m sure they changed the rule that next year.
Dave had taken in a laminated front page of the Ann Arbor News that I had on the day Bo had retired (December 14th, 1989) into work with him on one of the book signing days. Bo signed it for him. It reads; To Bob – The Designer of the Lawrence Reid Pitch Play. Go Blue! Bo Schembechler. (I’m taking that in today to get framed)
It’s funny how someone like that passing has an affect on you. I first called my wife, who was in a store dressing room. She thought I was kidding her. I then started calling friends at work (Michigan and non-Michigan fans) to let them know what had happened. To this day, I’m not sure what moved me to do that.
I thought about the game and how Bo had such an impact on it. How could Michigan play to it’s fullest ability knowing about him passing? After the news of Bo the game didn’t seem as important as it had just a few minutes before. But the game must go on and Michigan and Ohio State played an epic battle with OSU winning the shoot out.
What did I learn that day? I learned that people can have an impact on your life no matter if you know them like a brother or maybe you have never met them. Bo had an impact on me and probably every other Michigan fan as well.
I will bet Bo is looking down at the current Wolverines thinking. Damn! We pass way too much and what the hell is wrong with our defense?! Go Blue Bo! (and as Lloyd Carr elegantly put it) may “The Michigan Man” rest in peace.
BTW: I hope your leveling the playing field up there with all the ND fans! 🙂
Michigan Football: Recruiting Round-Up
Published: April 29, 2009
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With spring ball over and the “summer” freshmen not yet on campus, the Wolverines are knee deep in the Barwis summer work out program. The coaches on the other hand are all over the US talking to kids about Michigan’s program.
Recruiting always heats up over the summer months, with camps and official visits. As you have seen over the past five years, recruiting starts earlier and earlier. Michigan has about 50% of it’s 2010 class filled already, but still has some outstanding needs at defensive back, a second QB, linebacker, and at defensive tackle. The latest report has Michigan brandishing 150 offers on the street.
Here is an update on where Michigan stands with some of it’s prospective players for 2010:
- Michigan QB Prospect Performs Well at an Elite 11 Camp: Per ESPN: Munchie Legaux (New Orleans/Edna Carr) has excellent size (6′ 4″, 187 lbs) and can throw the football well. He had 15 rushing touchdowns last season, so he can also run. Legaux claims an offer from Michigan—and others from Tulane, Louisiana Tech, and Florida International. Baylor, Oregon, and Virginia are also showing him attention. Legaux is likely going to benefit from his performance and see his stock rise. He was impressive.
- FL RB Cassius McDowell has Michigan listed as his leader. He is teammates with future 2009 Wolverines Denard Robinson and Adrian Witty.
- Rashad Knight, a CB from Florida, has offers from BYU, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Rutgers, and Maryland but Michigan just offered on Tuesday and Rashad seems very interested in the Wolverines.
- Do you think RR and Staff are recruiting speed? Check this out: Liberty senior Fitzgerald Toussaint ran a blistering 10.86 to cruise in the 100. Also this: Toussaint, who won a state indoor title in the 60 in March, also anchored the third-place 4×100 relay, which included fellow University of Michigan football recruit Isaiah Bell. A third Michigan recruit, junior Antonio Kinard, joined Bell on the sixth-place 4×200 relay. Bell is a 2009 safety recruit for the Wolverines and Antonio is a 2010 committed linebacker recruit, yes, a linebacker.
- FL OL Torrian Wilson still has Michigan in his top group with Tennessee, Stanford, and Miami.
- Michigan has offered Cincinnati Tight End Alex Welch. Alex should feel honored because Michigan doesn’t offer too many tight ends anymore. What’s next, a full back?
- Michigan offered Baltimore (Md.) City College wide receiver Adrian Coxson. Adrian is 6′ 4″, 185 lbs, and the No. 158 prospect in the country by Rivals.
- Michigan went into Hyattsville, Maryland DeMatha, and offered just about the entire team including; safeties Jeff Knox, Lorenzo Waters, and Michael Coley and offensive lineman Arie Kouandjio.
- Decatur (Ga.) Southwest DeKalb cornerback Jonathan Mincy has been offered by the Wolverines and so has his teammate defensive end T.J. Stripling (6′ 6″, 215 lbs).
- Running back Andre Givens from Ohio who rushed for 1,433 yards and 18 touchdowns last season is also sporting a new Michigan offer.
- Larry Foote heading by foot or plane to the Detroit Lions? Seems the Pittsburgh Steelers were prepared to release Larry Foote yesterday but Larry started to get immediate interest from the Detroit Lions and now the Steelers are trying to work a trade for the former Wolverine linebacker. If a trade can’t be worked out, look for Larry to be released by this weekend.
- Drew is Done: Drew Henson was released by the Lions yesterday, most likely ending his professional football career. So much promise and so little to show for it.
