Drew Henson on CFB Live
Came on as an analyst and whenever he reffered to M he only used the word WE or US.
When asked about RR, he said we believe in him he can lead us in the right direction.
I don't know if you ever lost your love for M Drew, But welcome back buddy.
Guys try not to trash him he was dangled a pro contract in front of his eyes.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:00 PM ^
given his potential to be the starter in the midst of the competition with sheridan and forcier?
September 8th, 2010 at 4:17 PM ^
if Drew had it to do all over again he would have stayed in Ann Arbor another year or two. You cannot blame him for taking the cash from the Evil Empire.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:26 PM ^
Hating Big Stein for that, you will never convince me that he didn't give him that contract to get him out of the winged helmet.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:41 PM ^
To me, it's on par with his involvement in CREEP.
September 8th, 2010 at 5:38 PM ^
NYY are evil on at least 2 fronts: 1) they're the Yankees; 2) Steinbrenner was a Buckeye. Drew should've known better than to sign contracts from Buckeyes bearing dollar signs.
September 8th, 2010 at 5:50 PM ^
What does that make the Mets and Dolphins?
September 8th, 2010 at 4:01 PM ^
I won't trash him, but it would have been great to have had him for one more season. Despite the fact that the 2001 team regressed a bit towards the end of the season, they almost surely would have beaten OSU (and won the Big Ten outright) with Henson under center. Then we would have been spared the TD-fest perpetrated on Michigan by Tennessee in the Citrus Bowl.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:07 PM ^
liked that Henson only used the words "us" and "we". I would have left to go play professional baseball too.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:43 PM ^
Henson also had high, high praise for Denard's ability as a passer. Good to hear from an ex-qb.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:08 PM ^
Can't really blame anyone for taking that kind of money.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:14 PM ^
I have no trouble blaming Steinbrenner for sabotaging things.
September 8th, 2010 at 5:14 PM ^
He was quoted as saying that he gave Henson the contract so that Michigan wouldn't win another one. Good man. Ruined a kids potentially awesome career.
September 8th, 2010 at 6:06 PM ^
I'd love to see this quotation. I don't believe it.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:14 PM ^
Especially considering the number of lineman who graduated after 2000. Wasn't 4/5 of that offensive line starting in the NFL the next fall?
September 8th, 2010 at 4:28 PM ^
3/5 - Hutchinson, Backus and Williams... Brandt also graduated, but went undrfated and never played much in the NFL. But yeah, that 2000 Oline was a beast.
September 8th, 2010 at 6:18 PM ^
Not to mention that David Terrell went pro that January, and Anthony Thomas graduated. The roster was basically set up for Henson to leave. It just would have been less painful if he hadn't announced in January that he'd stay, only to leave in March.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:20 PM ^
Come on...most people would have done the same
September 8th, 2010 at 4:21 PM ^
but it sucked when he left for a couple reasons.
1. He was great and it would have been awesome to see what he could do in his senior year
2. There were rumors that as a condition of coming to UofM, that he told Lloyd he would stay for 4 years, but didn't want other quarterbacks to compete against (leaving the cupboard bare behind him). This was just a rumor I heard though, and in no way is verified to be true
3. He left very late, which did not give Michigan a chance to recruit a quarterback, or properly prepare Navarre for the upcoming season
But time heals all wounds, and I think he truly loves Michigan since, even after the 17 Million was thrown at him, it was still a hard decision for him to make (that right there says a lot). I was also bummed that he never could make it happen in the NFL. It would have been great to see a game between him and Brady in the Pros going pass for pass or touchdown for touchdown. Or even some rematches against Breese.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:31 PM ^
Those were dark days, that spring of 2001. You knew we'd be going through some serious growing pains, and it got the critics on John Navarre like no other and they never let up. That 2001 season was brutal...the bang-bang TDs at Washington, Clockgate, and one of the biggest WTF losses to ohio State in the history of the program.
It hurts to even remember it.
I am highly skeptical about the QB recruiting promise story, because (a) it doesn't seem like Lloyd's style, (b) I doubt the coaches and athletic leadership would have stood for verbal promises of non-competition, let alone the team at large, (c) no real leader should disparage competition at his position, and (d) Henson's side of the promise was always sketchy since baseball could lure him away with so much money. And the evidence of missing QBs isn't even there on the depth chart - UM had the QB stable all lined up, Navarre was the heir apparent after what was supposed to be Henson's senior year and they had that transfer who wore #7 after Henson as well.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:37 PM ^
but your point (d) doesn't help since the "heir apparent AFTER what was supposed to be Henson's senior year." This means they didn't have someone who ready to take the reins on the chance he did bolt early. I think he truly planned on staying for all 4 years (he had a 4 Million signing bonus before he got to UofM) and still isn't sure if he made the right decision. Steiny laid down a rediculous amount of cash for him to leave early.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:46 PM ^
Henson's condition for committing as a high school junior was that Lloyd would not recruit a qb ahead of drew. He didn't want to be behind another guy in addition to Brady. That's how I remember it. I could be wrong.
September 8th, 2010 at 5:34 PM ^
That makes more sense.
September 8th, 2010 at 6:14 PM ^
Henson himself never pledged anything. There was always a risk he'd leave.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:25 PM ^
Getting another Michigan grad on College Football Live was paramount. Listening to Robert Smith every other day has worn on my patience. Nice to see ya Drew!!
September 8th, 2010 at 4:36 PM ^
Not a grad.
September 8th, 2010 at 4:30 PM ^
My view: at least he took the money and didn't do it in a way to get the University in trouble. The alternative is in prime view at many fine football institutions in the south right now.
September 8th, 2010 at 5:05 PM ^
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1013468/3/index.htm
"...the summer between his sophomore and junior seasons, Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden offered not only a scholarship but also the uncommon guarantee that no other quarterback would be given a scholarship for the next two seasons.
This was an offer soon matched by Michigan's Lloyd Carr, along with a pledge that he wouldn't ask Henson to redshirt. Henson accepted that November, effectively stopping the great college recruiting war before it really began...."
....
"He signed a contract with the New York Yankees last week that will give him a $2 million bonus for playing pro baseball only during the summers. If he leaves college at any time or decides to play baseball after graduation, he will receive another $2.7 million, making his signing bonus the second-highest for a rookie in the history of the game."
...
"I don't want money to determine his life," Dan Henson says. "I don't want him to be 35 and say, 'You know, I should have seen how well I could play football.' I want him to have options."
September 8th, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^
was seeing him pitch for the Columbus Clippers in 2003 I believe. The guy did have a great arm!
September 8th, 2010 at 6:11 PM ^
why'd they have their third baseman pitching?
September 8th, 2010 at 5:40 PM ^
Henson was a rare talent and everyone was salivating over him. Just one of those instances where you wonder "what if" and think "damn"