https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2018/09/michigan_football_honorary_cap.html
A few excerpts:
Tracy was raped by four football players in Corvallis, Oregon in 1998, when she was 24 years old. Despite a strong case against the men -- they implicated each other in police interviews and there was ample physical evidence -- Tracy dropped the charges.
The two Oregon State players involved were suspended for one game. Tracy spoke publicly for the first time about the harrowing ordeal in 2014, for a story that ran on OregonLive.com.
Since 2016, Tracy has toured college campuses across the country sharing her story with student-athletes in the hopes of inspiring change. Late Wednesday night she spoke to MLive via telephone from Bloomington, Indiana. She'd just spoken to the Indiana University men's basketball team. On Aug. 2, she spoke to the Michigan football team.
Harbaugh, his staff, and the players made her Michigan visit a particularly successful one in her eyes.
"There are varying levels of engagement and enthusiasm at different programs, and Michigan was definitely one of the most engaged programs."
Harbaugh called Tracy's visit "an amazing experience" on his podcast several days later. "Her courage is at a level that is hard to even imagine. (It's) a remarkable story, what she's been able to overcome and to be able to accomplish. So many things came out of that meeting."
While head football coach Urban Meyer was at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago not fully truthfully answering questions about Smith, Tracy was talking to Ohio State's men's basketball and football teams.
"I was feeling a little defeated by the news cycle and all the stuff coming out of Ohio State, and kind of getting tangled up in that," Tracy said. "As an activist, I make comments on what I think schools are doing well, what they're not doing well. I come under fire from fan bases for having opinions."
By the time Tracy arrived in Ann Arbor the following week, more information had come out about Meyer's knowledge of the Smith situation. About that, Tracy spoke a little quicker, frustration creeping in. Meyer, she said, is a mandatory reporter of abuse, period. "With all of the people who have gotten in trouble for not reporting properly, you can't tell me he didn't know that he was a mandatory reporter." A criminal conviction is not necessary to report, nor should it be, Tracy said.
Her visits to both Ohio State and Michigan had been scheduled months in advance. Yet many fans assumed it was a troll job by Harbaugh or some sort of conspiracy.
"A section of the Ohio State fan base has been really ugly and awful to me," Tracy said.
She arrived in Ann Arbor feeling down, hoping her talk would be a success. It exceeded expectations.
"Being at Michigan during that time, that session was really inspiring for me, too. I left there that day feeling hopeful. It's always rejuvenating to meet coaches and teams who really want to make a difference."
Tracy knows there are skeptics who believe schools only hire her for PR reasons. It could be true, she acknowledges.
"I was once asked by an athletic director if I would talk to the women about making better choices. I said, 'I don't really do that but I will talk to your men about making better choices.'"
Tracy spoke to three classes of U-M student-athletes last year and will address the sophomore class on Sunday. Regardless of a school's motives, Tracy said, "I'm still planting seeds and hopefully affecting at least one person. I don't really care why you bring me in. I just care I'm there."
Two weeks after Tracy spoke to the Michigan football team, Harbaugh invited her to be an honorary captain for Saturday's game against Western Michigan. "It would be an honor to share the sideline with you," he texted. She immediately accepted, though she laughed Wednesday, hours after U-M announced the honorary captains, when asked about her game day responsibilities, not knowing what they'll entail.
In light of being named an honorary captain for Saturday's game, Tracy started a fundraiser for the SafeHouse Center in Ann Arbor. According to the organization's website, "SafeHouse Center provides support for those impacted by domestic violence or sexual assault. SafeHouse provides free and confidential services for any person victimized that lives or works in Washtenaw County. Our services include emergency shelter for those in danger of being hurt or killed, counseling, legal advocacy, support groups, and especially, hope."
You can read more about the fundraiser and donate on Tracy's GoFundMe page:
A few excerpts:
Tracy was raped by four football players in Corvallis, Oregon in 1998, when she was 24 years old. Despite a strong case against the men -- they implicated each other in police interviews and there was ample physical evidence -- Tracy dropped the charges.
The two Oregon State players involved were suspended for one game. Tracy spoke publicly for the first time about the harrowing ordeal in 2014, for a story that ran on OregonLive.com.
Since 2016, Tracy has toured college campuses across the country sharing her story with student-athletes in the hopes of inspiring change. Late Wednesday night she spoke to MLive via telephone from Bloomington, Indiana. She'd just spoken to the Indiana University men's basketball team. On Aug. 2, she spoke to the Michigan football team.
Harbaugh, his staff, and the players made her Michigan visit a particularly successful one in her eyes.
"There are varying levels of engagement and enthusiasm at different programs, and Michigan was definitely one of the most engaged programs."
Harbaugh called Tracy's visit "an amazing experience" on his podcast several days later. "Her courage is at a level that is hard to even imagine. (It's) a remarkable story, what she's been able to overcome and to be able to accomplish. So many things came out of that meeting."
While head football coach Urban Meyer was at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago not fully truthfully answering questions about Smith, Tracy was talking to Ohio State's men's basketball and football teams.
"I was feeling a little defeated by the news cycle and all the stuff coming out of Ohio State, and kind of getting tangled up in that," Tracy said. "As an activist, I make comments on what I think schools are doing well, what they're not doing well. I come under fire from fan bases for having opinions."
By the time Tracy arrived in Ann Arbor the following week, more information had come out about Meyer's knowledge of the Smith situation. About that, Tracy spoke a little quicker, frustration creeping in. Meyer, she said, is a mandatory reporter of abuse, period. "With all of the people who have gotten in trouble for not reporting properly, you can't tell me he didn't know that he was a mandatory reporter." A criminal conviction is not necessary to report, nor should it be, Tracy said.
Her visits to both Ohio State and Michigan had been scheduled months in advance. Yet many fans assumed it was a troll job by Harbaugh or some sort of conspiracy.
"A section of the Ohio State fan base has been really ugly and awful to me," Tracy said.
She arrived in Ann Arbor feeling down, hoping her talk would be a success. It exceeded expectations.
"Being at Michigan during that time, that session was really inspiring for me, too. I left there that day feeling hopeful. It's always rejuvenating to meet coaches and teams who really want to make a difference."
Tracy knows there are skeptics who believe schools only hire her for PR reasons. It could be true, she acknowledges.
"I was once asked by an athletic director if I would talk to the women about making better choices. I said, 'I don't really do that but I will talk to your men about making better choices.'"
Tracy spoke to three classes of U-M student-athletes last year and will address the sophomore class on Sunday. Regardless of a school's motives, Tracy said, "I'm still planting seeds and hopefully affecting at least one person. I don't really care why you bring me in. I just care I'm there."
Two weeks after Tracy spoke to the Michigan football team, Harbaugh invited her to be an honorary captain for Saturday's game against Western Michigan. "It would be an honor to share the sideline with you," he texted. She immediately accepted, though she laughed Wednesday, hours after U-M announced the honorary captains, when asked about her game day responsibilities, not knowing what they'll entail.
In light of being named an honorary captain for Saturday's game, Tracy started a fundraiser for the SafeHouse Center in Ann Arbor. According to the organization's website, "SafeHouse Center provides support for those impacted by domestic violence or sexual assault. SafeHouse provides free and confidential services for any person victimized that lives or works in Washtenaw County. Our services include emergency shelter for those in danger of being hurt or killed, counseling, legal advocacy, support groups, and especially, hope."
You can read more about the fundraiser and donate on Tracy's GoFundMe page:
