This is an extension of a recent thread that got my curiosity up about the subject "who is the best Wolverine player to wear the jersey number"?
I compiled all rosters going back to 1960 and made my own assessments, having remembered U-M teams since that time. I also considered the members of the U-M Football Hall of Fame and other All-Americans from years past. The first name shown is my choice as the best player, but also listed are others for whom a strong argument as best player could be made. If those others would pale in relative comparison then I don't list them - it's not an "honorable mention" thing.
I also referenced this compilation done by a Bucknut in 2007: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2007/11/16/osu_mich_numbers.ART_ART_11-16-07_E5_0G8E723.html
You made be able to make a case for another player, especially for someone I have omitted entirely...I'd love to hear your comments.
I don't expect you will be surprised at my finding that the strongest numbers in terms of U-M greatness are these: 1, 2, 7, 21, 40, 77.
1 - Anthony Carter ( Derrick Alexander, Braylon Edwards, David Terrell )
2 - Charles Woodson
3 - Johnny Maulbetsch ( Marlin Jackson, Tripp Welborne )
4 - Jim Harbaugh ( Marquise Walker )
5 - John Wangler ( Gordon Bell )
6 - Dave Brown ( Tyrone Wheatley )
7 - Rick Leach ( Chad Henne )
8 - Jason Avant ( Chris Howard, Doug Mallory )
9 - Dennis Franklin ( Hayes )
10 - Tom Brady ( Jeremy Gallon )
11 - Alvin Wistert ( Francis or Whitey Wistert )
12 - Ricky Powers ( Scott Dreisbach )
13 - Garland Rivers ( Greg Mathews )
14 - Brian Griese ( Morgan Trent )
15 - Elvis Grbac ( Steve Breaston )
16 - Denard Robinson ( )
17 - Larry Foote ( Ivan Hicks )
18 - Bump Elliott ( Amani Toomer )
19 - Carl Ward ( Mike Gillette, Remy Hamilton )
20 - Mike Hart
21 - Desmond Howard ( Tim Biakabutuka, Roy Roundtree, Junior Hemingway )
22 - Ty Law ( Glenn Doughty, Dennis Brown )
23 - Jamie Morris ( Chris Perry )
24 - Jack Clancy ( Butch Woolfolk, )
25 - Tom Curtis ( Harlan Huckleby )
26 - Jordan Lewis
27 - Benny Friedman ( Don Moorhead )
28 - Bob Timberlake
29 - Leon Hall ( Marcus Ray)
30 - Andre Weathers ( )
31 - Ed Shuttlesworth ( )
32 - Anthony Thomas ( Jarrod Bunch )
33 - Leroy Hoard
34 - Brendan Gibbons ( Philip Brabbs )
35 - Tom Darden ( Don Dufek )
36 - Steve Morrison ( Aaron Shea )
37 - Erick Anderson ( Jarrett Irons )
38 - Garrett Rivas ( J.D. Carlson )
39 - Henry Hill
40 - Elroy Hirsch ( Ron Johnson, Ron Simpkins )
41 - Rob Lytle ( Randy Logan, Andy Cannavino, Tommy Hendricks )
42 - Billy Taylor ( Mike Mallory )
43 - Jim Pace
44 - Chuck Heater ( Mark Moundros )
45 - Pete Elliott
46 - Harry Newman
47 - Bennie Oosterbaan ( )
48 - Gerald Ford
49 - Bob Chappuis ( Rick Volk )
50 - David Molk ( Dennis Franks, Paul Girgash )
51 - Steve Everitt
52 - Rod Payne
53 - Mel Owens ( Alan Sincich )
54 - Mark Bihl
55 - Brandon Graham
56 - Lamarr Woodley
57 - Maynard Morrison
58 - Rob Renes
59 - George Lilja ( Steve Strinko )
60 - Mark Messner
61 - Graham Glasgow
62 - Courtney Morgan
63 - Winfred Carraway ( Les Miles )
64 - John Arbeznick ( Jerry Diorio )
65 - Reggie Mackenzie ( Kurt Becker )
66 - Mike Hammerstein
67 - Merv Pregulman ( John Vitale )
68 - Joe Cocozzo ( Mike Martin )
69 - Jon Runyan ( Matt Elliott, Tom Dixon )
70 - Albert Wistert ( Marty Huff )
71 - Dave Gallagher ( John Hennessey )
72 - Dan Dierdorf ( John Elliott )
73 - Tom Dohring ( Bill Dufek )
74 - Mike Husar
75 - Bill Yearby ( Bubba Paris, Greg Skrepanek )
76 - Steve Hutchinson
77 - Jake Long ( Paul Seymour,Taylor Lewan, Mike Trgovac, Greg Morton, Jon Jansen )
78 - Dean Dingman (Mark Hammerstein )
79 - Jeff Backus ( Tom Keating )
80 - Jerame Tuman ( Alan Branch )
81 - Glen Steele ( John Henderson, Dan Jilek )
82 - Jim Conley ( Pete Newell )
83 - Ben Joppru ( Paul Seal )
84 - Paul Jokisch ( A.J. Williams )
85 - Tom Maentz ( Lowell Perry )
86 - Bob Westfall ( John Anderson, Mario Manningham, Tai Streets )
87 - Ron Kramer
88 - Jim Mandich ( Tony McGee, Jake Butt )
89 - Dick Rifenberg ( Derrick Walker )
90 - Tom Stincic ( Tim Jamison, Mike Keller )
91 - Phil Seymour ( Matt Dyson )
92 - Dan Rumishek ( Fred Grambeau )
93 - Sam Sword ( Bill Hoban )
94 - Jason Horn
95 - Curtis Greer
96 - Calvin O'Neal ( Tom Mack )
97 - Chris Hutchinson ( Jeff Perlinger )
98 - Tom Harmon
99 - Robert Thompson
I compiled all rosters going back to 1960 and made my own assessments, having remembered U-M teams since that time. I also considered the members of the U-M Football Hall of Fame and other All-Americans from years past. The first name shown is my choice as the best player, but also listed are others for whom a strong argument as best player could be made. If those others would pale in relative comparison then I don't list them - it's not an "honorable mention" thing.
I also referenced this compilation done by a Bucknut in 2007: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2007/11/16/osu_mich_numbers.ART_ART_11-16-07_E5_0G8E723.html
You made be able to make a case for another player, especially for someone I have omitted entirely...I'd love to hear your comments.
I don't expect you will be surprised at my finding that the strongest numbers in terms of U-M greatness are these: 1, 2, 7, 21, 40, 77.
1 - Anthony Carter ( Derrick Alexander, Braylon Edwards, David Terrell )
2 - Charles Woodson
3 - Johnny Maulbetsch ( Marlin Jackson, Tripp Welborne )
4 - Jim Harbaugh ( Marquise Walker )
5 - John Wangler ( Gordon Bell )
6 - Dave Brown ( Tyrone Wheatley )
7 - Rick Leach ( Chad Henne )
8 - Jason Avant ( Chris Howard, Doug Mallory )
9 - Dennis Franklin ( Hayes )
10 - Tom Brady ( Jeremy Gallon )
11 - Alvin Wistert ( Francis or Whitey Wistert )
12 - Ricky Powers ( Scott Dreisbach )
13 - Garland Rivers ( Greg Mathews )
14 - Brian Griese ( Morgan Trent )
15 - Elvis Grbac ( Steve Breaston )
16 - Denard Robinson ( )
17 - Larry Foote ( Ivan Hicks )
18 - Bump Elliott ( Amani Toomer )
19 - Carl Ward ( Mike Gillette, Remy Hamilton )
20 - Mike Hart
21 - Desmond Howard ( Tim Biakabutuka, Roy Roundtree, Junior Hemingway )
22 - Ty Law ( Glenn Doughty, Dennis Brown )
23 - Jamie Morris ( Chris Perry )
24 - Jack Clancy ( Butch Woolfolk, )
25 - Tom Curtis ( Harlan Huckleby )
26 - Jordan Lewis
27 - Benny Friedman ( Don Moorhead )
28 - Bob Timberlake
29 - Leon Hall ( Marcus Ray)
30 - Andre Weathers ( )
31 - Ed Shuttlesworth ( )
32 - Anthony Thomas ( Jarrod Bunch )
33 - Leroy Hoard
34 - Brendan Gibbons ( Philip Brabbs )
35 - Tom Darden ( Don Dufek )
36 - Steve Morrison ( Aaron Shea )
37 - Erick Anderson ( Jarrett Irons )
38 - Garrett Rivas ( J.D. Carlson )
39 - Henry Hill
40 - Elroy Hirsch ( Ron Johnson, Ron Simpkins )
41 - Rob Lytle ( Randy Logan, Andy Cannavino, Tommy Hendricks )
42 - Billy Taylor ( Mike Mallory )
43 - Jim Pace
44 - Chuck Heater ( Mark Moundros )
45 - Pete Elliott
46 - Harry Newman
47 - Bennie Oosterbaan ( )
48 - Gerald Ford
49 - Bob Chappuis ( Rick Volk )
50 - David Molk ( Dennis Franks, Paul Girgash )
51 - Steve Everitt
52 - Rod Payne
53 - Mel Owens ( Alan Sincich )
54 - Mark Bihl
55 - Brandon Graham
56 - Lamarr Woodley
57 - Maynard Morrison
58 - Rob Renes
59 - George Lilja ( Steve Strinko )
60 - Mark Messner
61 - Graham Glasgow
62 - Courtney Morgan
63 - Winfred Carraway ( Les Miles )
64 - John Arbeznick ( Jerry Diorio )
65 - Reggie Mackenzie ( Kurt Becker )
66 - Mike Hammerstein
67 - Merv Pregulman ( John Vitale )
68 - Joe Cocozzo ( Mike Martin )
69 - Jon Runyan ( Matt Elliott, Tom Dixon )
70 - Albert Wistert ( Marty Huff )
71 - Dave Gallagher ( John Hennessey )
72 - Dan Dierdorf ( John Elliott )
73 - Tom Dohring ( Bill Dufek )
74 - Mike Husar
75 - Bill Yearby ( Bubba Paris, Greg Skrepanek )
76 - Steve Hutchinson
77 - Jake Long ( Paul Seymour,Taylor Lewan, Mike Trgovac, Greg Morton, Jon Jansen )
78 - Dean Dingman (Mark Hammerstein )
79 - Jeff Backus ( Tom Keating )
80 - Jerame Tuman ( Alan Branch )
81 - Glen Steele ( John Henderson, Dan Jilek )
82 - Jim Conley ( Pete Newell )
83 - Ben Joppru ( Paul Seal )
84 - Paul Jokisch ( A.J. Williams )
85 - Tom Maentz ( Lowell Perry )
86 - Bob Westfall ( John Anderson, Mario Manningham, Tai Streets )
87 - Ron Kramer
88 - Jim Mandich ( Tony McGee, Jake Butt )
89 - Dick Rifenberg ( Derrick Walker )
90 - Tom Stincic ( Tim Jamison, Mike Keller )
91 - Phil Seymour ( Matt Dyson )
92 - Dan Rumishek ( Fred Grambeau )
93 - Sam Sword ( Bill Hoban )
94 - Jason Horn
95 - Curtis Greer
96 - Calvin O'Neal ( Tom Mack )
97 - Chris Hutchinson ( Jeff Perlinger )
98 - Tom Harmon
99 - Robert Thompson
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