Best nicknames in University of Michigan sports history

Submitted by oriental andrew on

Inspired by this thread.  So what do you think are the best nicknames in U-M sports history?  What are some of the ones you grew up with?  What were the worst/lamest? Any and all sports, of course.  

Obviously, we have nicknames like Shoelace (awesome), Tractor (RIP), and the Butterfly (ugh).  Graham Brown was known as Moose.  I remember whenever Jerod Ward scored, they'd put up the "Hot Rod" graphic in Crisler.  

This is also an education in Michigan sports history for me, as I was pretty much clueless about it until I started attending U-M in the mid-90s.  Before that, I was all about the Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta pro sports, having been born and raised in the ATL.

DY

May 11th, 2011 at 7:15 PM ^

We always referred to him as Uncle Charles.

I'd also like to add:

Adolf "Germany" Schulz 1904-1908

I also remember reading one time that Yale Van Dyne was referred to as Harvard by his teammates.

 

BlueHills

May 11th, 2011 at 7:19 PM ^

"Crazy Legs" Hirsch played two seasons for Michigan; he had also played for Wiscy, but transferred to meet some military base obligations during WW2.

I wasn't born when he was in college, but got to see him play pro ball for the Rams in the 50s when I was a little kid against the Lions at Briggs Stadium. When he touched the ball, even Lions fans cheered. People around here absolutely loved the guy.

I think his nickname had something to do with it.

Also..."Whizzer" White, who later became a Supreme Court justice, was a great nickname.

JimBobTressel

May 11th, 2011 at 8:17 PM ^

H20 "I run like water" Mike Hart

Tate"r tots" Forcier

Tom "The Comeback Kid" Brady

Darryl "Stonehands" Stonum (this is what he team called him before he figured the drops out after his freshman year).

 

 

Jon06

May 11th, 2011 at 11:25 PM ^

isn't exactly a nickname worth mentioning. (It's the kind of nickname the NYTimes article was complaining about--but maybe this is another trend the Fab Five started?)

Eso Akunne is called 'Tank' in my house for obvious reasons.

Guttman

May 12th, 2011 at 1:13 AM ^

All-American wrestlers who are better known as. . .the Steiner Brothers.

Their best nicknames were for their finishing moves--I only remember three of 'em, and I'm too lazy to google it--but the steinerizer, the frankensteiner, and the steiner recliner were all backyard favorites when torturing my little brother.