FB Media Guide released: Bolden (MVP), Wormley, Wilson win spring awards

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

The 2014 Michigan Football Media Guide is out. 

After months and months without word, I decided to email the athletic department recently on why the spring awards weren't announced. They got back with me and said that they were awarded unannounced but would be included in the media guide.

Kind of strange since there usually is a press release every year.

Anyways, 

Jarrod Wilson took home the Frederick Matthaei Award

The Frederick Matthaei Award is given to the junior-to-be gridder who has displayed leadership, drive and achievement on the athletic field and in the classroom. The award was established by Frederick C. Matthaei in 1968.

Chris Wormley took home the John F. Maulbetsch Award...

The John F. Maulbetsch Award is given to the freshman football candidate after spring practice on the basis of desire, character, capacity for leadership and future success both on and off the gridiron. It was established by Frederick C. Matthaei in 1954 in honor of the late John F. Maulbetsch, an All-American halfback in 1914.

And Junior (wow, how is he already a Junior?) Joe Bolden took home the oldest award in program history, the Meyer Morton Award. The Morton predates the team MVP award by a year, first being presented in 1925 to Ray Baer.

The Meyer Morton Award, established by the 'M' Club of Chicago in 1925, is given to the football player who shows the greatest development and most promise as a result of the annual spring practice. Morton, a 1912 Michigan graduate, was a lawyer in Chicago from 1915-48 and served as a Big Ten football official for 23 years. In fact, Morton was the referee in the famous 0-0 tie between Notre Dame and Army played at Yankee Stadium in 1946. A member of the Chicago 'M' Club, Morton traveled to Ann Arbor to present the award for many years, and the award was named in his honor after his death in 1948.

 

 

LSA Superstar

July 29th, 2014 at 6:33 PM ^

I know you didn't write this, but Chris Wormley is for sure a redshirt sophomore.  And it can't mean "dude who just hasn't played yet" because he also got decent playing time last year.  What gives?

In reply to by MGoStrength

Wolverine 73

July 30th, 2014 at 1:14 PM ^

I think Gedeon will be a beast.  Probably not until next year, though.  But I think his ceiling is highest of the three.  I thought he was pretty impressive for a true freshman last year, and he has better size than the other guys.

Wolfman

July 29th, 2014 at 8:49 PM ^

for the simple reason that i think, you think, hell everyone knows Bolden and Desmond are going to see a ton of p.t., and it'll be that way early in the game just as often as it will be during crunch time. I was going to add after game had been decided, but damn, we're getting so deep at lber, I can see someone else getting some pt for experience.

On the other hand, the qb position is one you don't want to mess with and you actually want to decide sooner rather than later for a number of reasons. Reps and timing are the primary reasons, but you want the team to become aware of their offensive leader as soon as possible. Arguments can be made for any position on the offense as to MVP, but ultimately it's the culmination of qb's decisions and ball protection that will decide on who the top gun is if all else is equal.  That, of course, becomes somewhat irrelevant if you have a qb whose primary job is handing the ball off to a 2,000 yard rusher like Barry Sanders.

And yes, I did see what Mattison had to say about Bolden. Makes me kind of proud as to the coaching along the lakeshore. It's normally the winner of the O.K.'s second division that plays Brother Rice for the Championship and the top division that plays D.C.C. for the winner of the top division. Other than Fairfield taking over for Tony at Muskegon, who took the GRCC job, then Ferris St. job, most coaching has went up a notch in that particuar league.  Because these two have been so close in terms of talent, speed, ability to read keys, etc., think the primary reason for Desmond's PT over the years has been the outstanding coaching he rec'd in h.s.  And as an aside, it probably won't be long before we see a before and after of Bolden. Think he's put on about 15 lbs in all the right places.

WolvinLA2

July 29th, 2014 at 7:39 PM ^

When basketball was first invented, it had a lot more contact than it does with today's rules, so players needed to wear protective gear.  Of course, this was over 100 years ago, and just like using a peach basket for the hoop, it was common to wear a bird cage, typically that of a parakeet or cockatoo, over one's head as a make-shift helmet/facemask.  They were referred to as "cagers" and despite the changes in wardrobe over the years, the name has stuck ever since.  

Wolfman

July 29th, 2014 at 10:41 PM ^

You are correct as to all the changes that have taken place over the years since Dr. Naismsith first invented the game at the Y, and yes, there was a lot of contact in the earliest matches. Photos from those days will resemble the upper body being covered by pads very similar to what football players wore during that era, but there was no head gear and certainly not a "bird cage," although I should upvote you by about ten just for no one calling you on it.

The term "cagers," and you are right, it has stuck, but is normally used by writers trying to impress readers with their historical knowledge of the game.  Just like any game that is new that requires a decent amount of area basketball, in its infancy was played in areas referred to today as multi-purpose rooms used also for meetings, dances, voting, and ironically, youth bb at its earliest level.  Because of this and the fact it was played indoors, the fans had to be protected from not only stray ball that would find their way into the audience but stray players as well.  So wire protection in the form of whatever wire was at hand was quickly assembled and installed. It was both easy to erect and take down; therefore, that's why it was used.

Of course, once gymnasiums were built with basketball being of primary importance, the need for wire was no longer needed although there still remains to date a lot of players ending up in the stands in their pursuit of a loose ball in arenas where the seating is situated very close to the court.  But never have players wore bird cages on their head.  Do you not think this would not present somewhat of a vision problem for the players attempting to toss a big old ball into a peach basket?

But again, nice attempt.  Take a bow.

Tyrone Biggums

July 29th, 2014 at 8:24 PM ^

I can't remember which video it was but I disticntly remember Mattison gushing about what a leap he felt Bolden had made as a leader on the field after spring football. He was talking about how important communication was on the defense as a whole and singled out Bolden for that specifically as well as being bigger. We need a OMG shirtless post for him apparently. The team is becoming deep! If he surpasses Morgan, I will be gushing!

Wolverine In Iowa

July 29th, 2014 at 7:38 PM ^

For some chuckles, look at page 92 of the media guide - most yards gained (passing/rushing) in a game:

1) Devin Gardner

2) Denard Robinson

3) DR

4) DG

5) through 10) DR

11) DG

LSAClassOf2000

July 29th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^

I agree, and it isn't even just on the page mentioned, but as one might suspect, Robinson and Gardner show up numerous times in the 20 or so pages of records. It actually serves as an excellent reminder that, while it seems like the team is wandering through the woods sometimes, it continues to produce some great leaders and prolific contributors. 

Wolverine Devotee

July 29th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^

Devin holds the career record for a QB rating at the moment.

Also, the orignal record for career rushing yards by a QB was 2,176 set by Rick Leach.

Denard smashed that record with 4,495 which is also an NCAA record.

Here is the current top-10 for single game yards of total offense-

Place

Player

Stat

Date

Opponent

Result

1.

Devin Gardner

584

10/19/2013

vs Indiana

W 63-47

2.

Denard Robinson

502

9/11/2010

at Notre Dame

W 28-24

3.

Denard Robinson

494

10/2/2010

at Indiana

W 42-35

4.

Denard Robinson

454

10/8/2011

at Northwestern

W 42-24

5.

Denard Robinson

446

9/10/2011

vs Notre Dame

W 35-31

6.

Denard Robinson

426

9/8/2012

vs Air Force

W 31-25

7.

Denard Robinson

397

9/15/2012

vs Massachusetts

W 63-13

8.

Denard Robinson

383

9/4/2010

vs Connecticut

W 30-10

9.

Denard Robinson

381

10/30/2010

at Penn State

L 31-41

10.

Devin Gardner

376

9/7/2013

vs #14 Notre Dame

W 41-30

 

Wolverine Devotee

July 30th, 2014 at 12:08 AM ^

Rest easy, the statistical record book was split off from the SuperGuide into its own separate book due to its constant growth and has yet to be printed.

Football is by far the biggest sport I'm dealing with and it is ultimately going to be FIVE different books.

SuperGuide, Statistical Record Book, Jersey Numbers, Recruiting History and All-Time Letterwinners. Not just the Varsity 'M' winners which covers every Football player to ever receive the Varsity letter here from 1879-today, but all THIRTEEN other numerals that were once awarded. 

I am very, very thankful for Bentley Library and their amazing ocean of available information just via the internet. There's no other school in the country that's better with having their in-depth Football history online.

What should keep you up at night is that I eventually have to get to making the Michigan Baseball SuperGuide. Oh yes. The oldest sport at Michigan with the worst documentation in terms of details that drive researchers like me batshit crazy. 

Get this: you can search as hard as you want on the internet, but you will not find information on where Michigan played Indiana in their 1942 series. You can't figure out where Michigan played their games in 1953, their first national championship year. You have no chance in hell at finding out where Michigan played EMU in 1962.

You can scan every Michiganensian for the info. I've done it! And I've come up with incomplete results. It's one of the biggest nightmare scenarios EVER due to my projects being very detailed. 

I'm going to Bentley Historical Library to research the old athletic files myself eventually. I have a place to stay in A2 with friends thankfully, because it's going to take days to find this information and piece it together. 

/end rambling 

Thorin

July 30th, 2014 at 12:33 AM ^

You have no chance in hell at finding out where Michigan played EMU in 1962.

You can "easily" find that information from local newspapers. I'm sure the AAPL has The Ann Arbor News going back further than 1962. You just need the date of the game and then find the next day's paper. A lot of newspapers have been scanned now too. I know if you Google my dad's name there are like 10 pages of Albion College baseball game recaps from the early 60s.

Wolverine Devotee

July 30th, 2014 at 12:53 AM ^

Internet searches, not so much. A2 is maybe an hour drive from me, but I definitely plan on going for that beast of a project. 

Google archive is what I've built my Spring Game history with since the athletic department doesn't give two shits and a holler about anything to do with that event. 

I typed in the term, went to the "news" tab and set the custom range. It's quite impressive what I have built just off of Google archive searches.

But several months ago I tried doing this and I kept getting no results with the site saying "does not match any news results". 

All Day

July 30th, 2014 at 9:22 AM ^

When in the world do you have the time to do homework, play video games, chase girls, drink Wild Turkey from your parents' liquor cabinet, and sleep until 11am, keep current on all M sports, and create two historical guides that are better than what the university puts out?

NOLA Wolverine

July 29th, 2014 at 8:11 PM ^

In solidarity with the Brian, I too will eat a lemon if that happens. Probably not on camera. 

This defense needs Morgan. Bolden looks like he could use another year reprising his 6th man role for each linebacker spot, which is still a good chunk of playing time.