Wolverine football greats, alphabetically
In an effort to create a wonderful learning device for my young children, I am in the process of creating a Michigan Football alphabet book. I enjoy Scott Van Pelt, and like him I tend to make lists and completely overlook somebody obvious. While I am hoping to make connections to current and recent teams as well as some of the all-time greats, I also don't want to ignore great performers from before my time (football awareness ca. 1988). I am attempting to use some first and last names to avoid some of the unfortunate letter overlaps (for example, D is for Desmond allows H to be for Harmon). I would love you to spend some of the time you might ordinarily spend snarking to help my children grow up as fully elucidated as possible. Of course, you can snark me instead if you want; it's Amurca, we're all free to make choices.
Thanks in advance.
To make this better, here's what I have. Tell me where I'm wrong (in some places I'm using place fillers)
Avant, Braylon, Charles, Desmond, Elvis, Ford, Gardner, Harmon, I, Jansen, Kovacs, Lewan, Mike (Hart), Neinberg, Oosterbaan, P, Quarterbacks, Reimersma, Sword, Tom, U, Victors, Woodley, Xavier, Yost, Zoltan.
You can use Denard Xavier Robinson for X.
Thanks.
R for robinson....
However, that leave something of a void at X. I feel like the next best R is way better than the next best X. Draft logic, if you will.
I see this as more of flash cards than a book, but great idea.
My contribution: "E" is for Elvis Grbac
for the A's. You also have the dual benefit of teaching multiculturalism . . .
HAH For some reason he was the first guy I thought of.
April 26th, 2013 at 10:21 AM ^
The only Iranian I know who wears cowboy boots
April 26th, 2013 at 11:48 AM ^
Or Derrick Alexander, wearer of the #1 jersey and leader of the receiving corps after Desmond. All-American in 1992.
April 26th, 2013 at 12:01 PM ^
Avant was a fan favorite, but DA was the better player.
April 26th, 2013 at 12:33 PM ^
Looking further down the replies, I can't believe I didn't think of Anthony Carter. He definitely needs to be on th list as a 3-time All American and member of the College Football HOF.
Could also be thrown on the A recievers list. He had a pretty nice stat line in the Super Bowl a few years back.
Great idea. Shouldn't be too tough since we have 78 All-Americans, 3 Hiesman Trophy winners, an ex-President and a bunch of all time great coaches to choose from.
No Michigan greats list is complete without him.
I would put him at C is for Carter and move Charles to W is for Woodson.
Great idea though. Maybe you could work jersey numbers into a counting book.
Yes, I had to have some help for a couple of them.
A - Anthony
B - Baas
C - Charles
D - Dierdorf
E - Ernest
F - Fritz
G - Gerald
H - Harmon
I - Ian
J - Jumbo
K - Kramer
L - Long
M - Marquis
N - Navarre
O - Oosterbaan
P - Perry
Q - Quentin
R - Rojo
S - Schembechler
T - Tom
U - Uteritz
V - Vaughn
W - Wistert
X - Xavier
Y - Yost
Z - Zatkoff
April 26th, 2013 at 10:41 AM ^
Use only last names and list multiple people.... for instance... for C
CHAPPUIS
CARTER
etc
April 26th, 2013 at 11:03 AM ^
Maybe Jarrett Irons for "I"? And how about Ufer for "U"?
Have you looked at the Michigan Football Lettermen list for ideas?
You can also search the Bentley database by last or first name "begins with."
The links are especially helpful.
April 26th, 2013 at 12:13 PM ^
He's only the all time leading tackler at Michigan.
A is for the Andersons, who called each other "bro." Kurt played center in '01, Erick starred for Mo.
B is for the Brackinses, we'll never give them back. No matter how you spell the name the player is all-MAC.
G is for Glenn Edward, a name you'd never know. For though he was our greatest man, we always called him "Bo."
That may be where this goes once I get the basics in place. And after having read many a tortured rhyme scheme, I think I might be able to do at least as well as some published "authors." Especially if I plagiarize from you (just kidding, I'd link to it /notplagiarism).
i've kept going on this and will have it in dear diary today.
phil brabbs - you need a kicker
U is for Ufer
I could be jarret irons, ian gold,
April 26th, 2013 at 10:21 AM ^
Also, you could put a small description for each player/coach and turn it in to a resourceful encyclopedia on Michigan greats for when they get older.
Position
Years played
Honors
Probably getting a little carried away.
I'm trying to purposefully limit. I like the idea of adding informative blurbs. This way the book they enjoy while learning letters at 2 can be the book they enjoy learning to read words at age 4.
Thanks.
Pardon this comment - only sorta on topic....but it is a Michigan-based A-Z picture book.
Still working on getting this as a book somewhere...
University of Michigan Squirrel A-Z - A Web Picture Book
http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/~cseeman/archives/2011/12/university_of_m.html
You could also use adjectives like speed, quick, strong, leaders, captain, kicker, fumble to tell the story. That is what I did here because I did not know the squirrel's names.
To write something for one's own children is a great thing - kudos to you.
I'll be sharing it with the kids today.
April 26th, 2013 at 10:07 AM ^
You can use multiple player names for a single letter. For example Dr. Suess does something like (paraphrased from memory)
BIg B
Little b
B, b, B
Bubbles, Barber, Ballerina
B, b, B.
Big G, Little g. G,g, G
Gardner, Greise, Grahm.
G, g, G.
There are enough greats that you might be able to get a rhyme scheme going. Looking forward to a link to the results.
April 26th, 2013 at 10:13 AM ^
Perhaps a nickname like "Shoelace" would help to shuffle your list around to accommodate another great who simply cannot be overlooked?
April 26th, 2013 at 10:13 AM ^
There is no I in the the team the, the team, the team.
April 26th, 2013 at 12:14 PM ^
a me, me, me!
April 26th, 2013 at 10:16 AM ^
April 26th, 2013 at 10:18 AM ^
April 26th, 2013 at 10:18 AM ^
April 26th, 2013 at 10:19 AM ^
April 26th, 2013 at 10:39 AM ^
Put Carter at C and Woodson at W, sheesh
April 26th, 2013 at 10:40 AM ^
Ufer, Revelli, Lloyd...
For M you could probably just do a big block M. I mean, you can't not include it.
April 26th, 2013 at 10:56 AM ^
April 26th, 2013 at 10:58 AM ^
'B' - Bennie (Oosterban and Friedman)
'G' - Germany (Schultz)
'N' or 'S' - Neil Snow
'W' - Willie Heston or Wistert (too many to list)
'K' - Kramer
April 26th, 2013 at 11:00 AM ^
Also - 'E' for Elliot, Pete and Bump
April 26th, 2013 at 11:07 AM ^
You have H for Harmon, who is T for Tom? Also Harmon?
Maybe T for Tshimanga "Touchdown Tim" Biakabutuka
Also: Where's Schembechler?
April 26th, 2013 at 11:25 AM ^
I agree with these ideas:
I - Ian Gold or Jarrett Irons
P - Chris Perry
U - Ufer
There might be a better "I" out there, but P and U are perfect and undeniable Michigan greats.
April 26th, 2013 at 11:48 AM ^
This is actually a really great idea with a world of possibilities. There are probably enough players for each letter that you could even have a couple examples for each, as some of my own children's pictures books had (sadly, they were not Michigan-themed picture books).
For example:
"W", you might think
Is an uspide down "M"
But tell that to the Wisterts
Or Wheatly or Woodson
Or any of these men.
Another example:
"H", rife with talent, almost too much
From Hammerstein to Hayes
And from Harbaugh to Hutch