Greg Harden, key to our future?

Submitted by redwhiteandMGOBLUE on

I just finished reading a teriffic article about Greg Harden and his influence on the Michigan program.

The article gives great insight into a prominent staff member who had direct influence on our recent Heisman winners and championship season.

Please read the article to get a true sense of who this man is and what he means to the program going forward as his influence cannot and should not be over looked.

To me, one of the most important lines is the last -

Those who are champions will stay.

Desmond Howard -

I don’t know if I win the Heisman, if Greg isn’t at Michigan.

Tom Brady -

He will always be somebody I rely on for sound advice and mentorship, says Brady. He has helped me with my own personal struggles in both athletics and in life.

 

The Program Went Into Shambles Because He Wasn't A Big Part Of The Process

Michigan's new coach, Brady Hoke, won’t report directly to Harden. But maybe he should. After Lloyd Carr left the Big House sideline, Harden was marginalized. Most fans blame poor coaching and recruiting for Michigan’s football spiral. But some alums think Harden’s absence was just as damaging. If players like Brady and Howard didn’t get mentally stronger, how good would those Michigan teams have been? “That’s why the program went into shambles,” Smith says. “Because he wasn’t a big part of the process.”

Will he return to his former place in the football program? Hard to tell. But the players who turned to him won’t stop now.

Funny how athletic director Dave Brandon scoured the nation for a leader of men, when in fact the best example might be down the hall. Hoke would do well to introduce his recruits to a Michigan Man who gave up on Michigan. Those players will sit down with someone who will bludgeon their bravado without curtailing their confidence. Greg Harden won’t go with the old Bo bromide: “Those Who Stay Will Be Champions.” But he will teach an even more powerful lesson that he took so long to learn himself:

Those who are champions will stay.

http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201101/tom-bradys-guru

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profitgoblue

January 12th, 2011 at 10:12 AM ^

Thanks a million for posting this information.  I never would have know this information without your post and I appreciate it.  I propose a formal pos-bang to reward the OP.

I think that everyone forgets that these players are essentially self-conscious young adults that are forced to play a role they may or may not be mentally prepared to play.  I assume all coaches serve as mentors but maybe programs need specific employees like Mr. Harden and other psychologists/psychiatrists to service these kids (if they do not already have them).  It can only be helpful for them in their careers and lives down the road.

Joined: 09/01/2009

MGoPoints: 19559

redwhiteandMGOBLUE

January 12th, 2011 at 10:22 AM ^

All points will be forwarded to Eric Adelson as he penned this masterpiece.

I just want to know why this man was shut out during such a time of need in our program.

I will not speculate on the culprit(s) but hopefully we can uncap the well and give this man his due and his role back!

Joined: 07/08/2008

MGoPoints: 34127

bjk

January 12th, 2011 at 10:50 AM ^

to SchupanBlue, who linked this article in a reply to the "Parsing DB's Quotes" thread below; in fact, I read it there first. BTW, is it still possible to link directly to a comment within a thread? I can't figure it out.

Joined: 11/26/2009

MGoPoints: 3993

Yostal

January 12th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^

Actually, The Post Game (from Yahoo) and with Dan Shanoff's Quickish are two new sports websites.  The Post Game seems dedicated to being a home for more long form sports content (like a less snarky Page 2) while Quickish seems to be a well aggregated Twitter feed (a great way to catch up on the day if you have not seen things all day.)

So I don't think it was "Sitting On It" as much as "A strong opening piece to lead with."  Dan Wetzel's take on the Hoke hiring is also in there.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 7659

a2bluefan

January 12th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^

Will someone please drag Tate Forcier in to see this guy?

Great read, thanks OP for posting. I'd never heard of Mr. Harden and I've been around since the Harbaugh days. This makes a LOT of sense, though.  How many times did we hear RR say "they're doing it in practice, we're just not seeing it on Saturdays"?  All the practice reps in the world won't keep the mind and soul in the right place.

Joined: 12/29/2008

MGoPoints: 2754

briangoblue

January 12th, 2011 at 10:56 AM ^

when they say he was "marginalized" how much we could've used this guy. The last three seasons have definitely lacked a mental toughness that had always been there no matter how ugly things got before. Good to see this hard working man behind the scenes get his due.

Joined: 08/03/2009

MGoPoints: 5160

BlueintheLou

January 12th, 2011 at 11:00 AM ^

Wow. Great read. You have to think is he was more widely utilized he could have gotten to some of the kids we lost to transfer. Maybe an Emilien or a Turner could have used the support and motivation. Here's to utilizing him as much as possible. You can neverunderestimate how difficult college is for some people initially, myself included. Someone to calm you down, help you understand it all is integral to success.

Joined: 09/13/2008

MGoPoints: 4872

seattleblue

January 12th, 2011 at 11:02 AM ^

Nice to see Greg getting some recognition.  I had the opportunity to work with Greg while at Michigan and he's someone I can honestly say changed my life and I think anyone who has spent some time with him would say the same. He makes you better on and off the field.

Joined: 03/12/2009

MGoPoints: 414

JimBobTressel

January 12th, 2011 at 11:06 AM ^

I'm beginning to think the main reason there was a parade of transfer's throughout the RR era was due to the lack of Harden utilization

Joined: 11/28/2010

MGoPoints: 4235