This is the third installment of my TBT series where I catch up with former players.

Previously: Clay Miller Tim Williams

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This next guy was someone I really looked up to when I was there. I really admired the way he carried himself; always the gentleman, forever smiling, and never a negative word. There are a lot of personalities on a team with 120 players plus a hundred coaches/trainers/student managers. An 18 year old kid living 1000 miles from home has to navigate the potholes of college life while trying to fight for playing time and impress a guy named Bo. As we all know from personal experience or stories we’ve read, it’s easy to find a little trouble if you look in the wrong place. But that wasn’t a problem for Big Money Mike Dames. He went about his business with a positive outlook, consistently working hard to improve himself and the team, and never, EVER swearing. He was a rock solid man of faith. I remember cursing one time in front of Mike and he sort of gave me that look like, “Really?” I felt bad because I didn’t want to disappoint him because he was too good of a dude.

The other thing I and anyone who ever played across from Mike remembers is his vicious two-handed punch. It was devastating. He would fire out of his stance with both fists balled up tight and drill you right into the Solar Plexus. POW…..gasp…..wind knocked out. The first time he did it, I thought “Hey man. What’s up with you punching me?” I think I may have even asked him to knock it off. I was a dumb freshman and I didn’t immediately realize that this man’s job was NOT to make my life easier. It was to be the best offensive lineman he could. He was preparing to play in the Big 10, not make friends.  If I got the wind knocked out me, so be it. Suck it up and take a few dozen more for the team.  Man I hated those punches. I didn’t know how to combat them. As the season wore on, I learned the best way to defend myself against those fists was to steal a glance at Coach Ags’ practice schedule and plan my day accordingly – as in, find out what plays Dames was in, then make sure I wasn't.

Mike grew up in Miami and had expressed a desire to possibly study architecture when he got to college. Never one to miss an opportunity, Bo sent Mike a sketch of Michigan Stadium with a note that read, “We have some pretty good architects at the University of Michigan, too.” I remember seeing that sketch taped to Mike’s dorm room wall and thought it was pretty cool.

During his recruitment, he visited Syracuse and had other trips scheduled for Pitt, Notre Dame, and UCLA. The fact of the matter was, he was so impressed with Coach Randy Edsall (his primary recruiter), he felt like he might become an Orangeman even though he really wanted to be at Michigan. The problem was, he hadn’t visited Ann Arbor yet. He knew all along he wanted to play in the cold north and he knew he wanted to play for Bo. After an agonizing wait, he finally got his official set for UM...and it turned out to be the coldest day of the year. Something like -10.  Conventional wisdom would lead you to believe that a kid from Miami might be put off by the frigid temperatures.  Not in Mike's case.  It was everything he hoped it would be and he was sold on the Wolverines.

His first season in Ann Arbor was 1984 and it was special because we opened the season against his hometown team, the defending national champion Miami Hurricanes. It turned out to be a great day for Michigan after we intercepted Bernie Kosar six times and won the game 22-14. Mike knew he had made the right decision. Of course, we all know that 1984 turned out to be Bo’s worst season ever, finishing 6-6 with losses to Michigan State, Ohio State, and BYU in the bowl game.

"Big Money" earned a spot on the travel squad that season as a true freshman.  A strange set of circumstances almost forced the coaches to burn his redshirt in a game. We suffered a rash of injuries along the O Line and were down to one last lineman, Mike Kraus, before Dames.  As the offense was preparing to take the field, Krause was M.I.A.. Everyone on the sideline was looking for him, yelling his name, trying to figure out where the heck he was. Meanwhile, Dames is standing next to Coach Uzelac, helmet strapped on, ready to report for duty. Luckily, Kraus finally appeared (apparently he couldn’t find his helmet) and Big Mike’s redshirt was preserved.

Mike tells a funny story about being on the travel squad. Even during home games, the team stays at the Campus Inn on Friday nights. Home games are approached with the same regimen as away games: meet at the building for film and walk-throughs. Board a bus for the hotel. Check in, eat dinner, have meetings, then watch a movie. But it was the Clam Chowder served at the Campus Inn Mike remembers so fondly. He held the team record for number of bowls eaten during one meal (EIGHT!). Mike was even able to convince the waitress to stash away two water pitchers full of the soup so he and the rest of the linemen could enjoy as much as they wanted. Up to that point, Mike had never eaten clam chowder before. As a matter of fact, the only soup his mom ever served was Chicken Noodle. “Through 18 years of my life, I only had Chicken Noodle Soup. I don’t believe I knew other soup existed. It dawned on my that my parents had been holding out on me!”

Mike was on his way to starting his sophomore year before a leg injury derailed his season. By his junior year (1986), he had finally earned a starting guard spot. His first game was on the road against Notre Dame – Lou Holtz’s first season in South Bend. He didn’t score particularly well in terms of blocks made, but he had one trap block on a defensive tackle that you could hear throughout the stadium. His teammates were hooting and hollering from the sidelines, and Mike Gittleson yelled, “Way to knock that guy on his *beep*.”  After the game, former Wolverine All-America and current Chicago Bear Stefan Humphries - who had been Mike’s host during his recruiting visit - came up to him and congratulated him on his outstanding block.

This was the same year of Harbaugh guaranteed a win over Ohio State after losing to Minnesota and spoiling our perfect season. The Big Ten Championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl were on the line. Mike remembers making a few key blocks on Ohio State great Chris Spielman, including a beautiful fold block that sprung Jamie Morris for a 52 yard gain in the second half. Later in the drive, Bo called a dive play on the goal line right over Dames who buried his man, allowing Jamie to run it in for the go ahead score.

But it was a missed block he remembers the most. During the course of the game, Jumbo Elliott blocked his man down and they fell on the outside of Mike’s knee. It bent his steel knee brace so much that it looked like “the handle of a coffee mug”. Mike was hobbled but stayed in the game. Later, when we were attempting an important 4th quarter field goal to stretch our lead, Mike had to step hard to his right to cover the gap between him and the snapper, Andy Borowski. Unfortunately, he couldn’t push off his left leg and his guy slipped through and blocked the kick. It could have been disastrous. When they made their way to the bench, Bo came over and barked, “Where’d that guy come from?” Mike wished the earth would open up and swallow him whole.  Just as he was owning up to his mistake, Jamie Morris interrupted and said, “Coach, Mike’s hurt. He got hit in the knee earlier in the game.” That meant the world to Mike that his teammate had his back, even at the most critical moment of The Game and biggest game of their careers.  We won that game, of course, but it was a bittersweet moment for Mike.  His knee was seriously hurt, and we had a game the following week at Hawaii.  Unfortunately, his knee was so banged up he had to miss the Hawaii AND Rose Bowl games. (Personally, I always thought that was the biggest reason we lost that game.)

Mike went on to play his fifth year in 1988 which culminated with a return trip to the Rose Bowl. However, he suffered more injuries that year and had to have surgery on his shoulder.  He was sidelined more than he was playing, but he handled it with class. The way he recalls it now, he learned a valuable lesson about being a team player.  He wasn't going to pout, and he would never complain about his circumstances because "having the right attitude” was best for the team.

He finished his career with a win over Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl and a #2 finish, a victory over Alabama in the Hall of Fame Bowl in his home state, two Big Ten titles, and two trips to the Rose Bowl.

For the last 27 years, Mike’s been working for the Boy Scouts of America - first in Michigan and then back in Florida. "So many people made a difference in my life that it made me want a job where I could make a difference in other people's lives". He is the Director of Field Services for the South Florida Council, working with a staff that’s responsible for sustaining and growing the scouting program.

Mike spends his free time with his beautiful wife Candyss and their two daughters - the oldest is finishing her bachelor's degree and the youngest is a senior in high school.  If you can't find Mike and his girls at the beach, you can find them at church.  They all sing in the choir and his youngest also plays the drums and runs the audio equipment.

Mike concludes his notes to me with “Who’s got it better than us? I'm so proud to be a Michigan Wolverine.”

As Fielding Yost famously said, “But do let me reiterate the spirit of Michigan. It is based upon a deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways; an enthusiasm that makes it second nature for Michigan men to spread the gospel of their university to the world's distant outposts; a conviction that nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours.”

Ole Fielding could very well have been talking about Big Money Mike Dames when he spoke those words.

Those who stay…

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Some quick tidbits about Big Money:
He played from 1984 – 1988 and wore #76
His favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor are Middle Kingdom, Blimpy Burgers, Spots, and of course the Campus Inn for clam chowder.
The best dish he makes is Stewed conch and conch fritters. (nom nom nom)
If he had a son he would let him play football, if he wanted. The game teaches so many valuable lessons, and creates so many memories and friends.

Keith Mitchell (90), Pat Olszewski (71), David Weil (50), Joe Holland (97)

Mark Messner (60), Big Money (76), Mike Husar (74)