Guys you wish had stuck around longer

Submitted by PeteM on

I was thinking the other day about players that started at Michigan, and, for whatever reason, didn't play 4 years here.

The two that immediately came to mind were David Bowens and Antonio Bass.  I remember thinking when Bowens arrived in the mid-90s he reminded me of the speedy Florida State D linemen that we had so much trouble with in Moeller's first season.  In his freshman season against Miami (NTM) my recollection was that he was absolutely dominant.  I forget what led to his transfer (I believe academics), but would have loved for him to stick around.

I don't recall Antonio Bass playing a lot as a freshman, but do remember some crucial runs subbing in for Henne while operating out of the shotgun.  It seemed like he was good for an almost automatic 5-10 yards in those situations.  I assume that with Henne in place he would have played receiver but for his knee injury, but it felt like he also could have been a dual threat QB pre-Denard.

Finally, and this doesn't quite qualify since it involves a coach rather than a player, but I've long wondered how Michigan's football fortunes in the 1950s would have been different if Fritz Crisler had spent another 5-10 years on the sidelines (he was only 48 or 49 when he retired).  His last team won the national championship, and in his last five years he had 2 Big Ten champions and 3 2nd place finishes.  His tenure always seemed too short to me.

JeepinBen

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:21 PM ^

I can't believe this thread has been up for this long and no one has posted something about this thread's title and context. No tales of longing and heartbreak on the MGoBoard..

93Grad

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:25 PM ^

end of discussion.  I can't think of any other player who would have made as significant a difference to the team other than maybe Drew Henson.

BlastDouble

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:39 PM ^

Marcus Witherspoon (even tho he never got onto campus), Cobrani Mixon, Slocum, Artis Chambers, Michael Williams, MIKE COX, Taylor Hill, Taters....sorry to bring up the dark years, I would like to think that they would not have been so dark if these guys stayed....

UMichYank11

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:40 PM ^

If Tate wasn't such a knucklehead, he would have been EXCELLENT in Hoke's first two years!  No disrespect to Denard because I love that guy, but Denard would have been a RB if Tate had gone to class and not been a baby and actually cared about the team like Denard did.

MGoChippewa

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:27 PM ^

Can you imagine what a superstar team it would be with those two, Brian, Ace and Brandon?  Basically the '95-'96 Bulls but in blogging form.  Also, Jake Fisher.

Blue in Yarmouth

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:43 PM ^

were poised to have awesome senior years were Alan Branch and Ernest Shazor. For one it didn't really matter because he has had a pretty decent NFL career, but for Shazor I think it might have made enough difference. I really like that guy.

gwkrlghl

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:53 PM ^

Almost every great hockey player Michigan has had in my time watching.

Specifically (for some reason), Chris Brown. He was one of the few I was legitimately surprised left school early. He made it to his junior year and I thought he'd be an anchor on the following years team but left early.

jasonmkeith

May 22nd, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^

 

Not because he was the most dominant defensive back, but the fact that we lost him to a pipe dream that he was going to get drafted highly enough to leave.  I am assuming that is why he left, and encourage any corrections.

2009 First Team All Big Ten > not.

 

PurpleStuff

May 22nd, 2014 at 2:59 PM ^

Some guys want to go no matter what, but Warren was projected as a 3rd round pick by the NFL's evaluation people.  Pretty sure he was nursing a bad ankle when the combine/pro-day rolled around so he ran a shitty 40 time that then dropped his stock.

Guys like him, Orr, Shazor, and Manny Harris are definitely the ones that sting the most.

Michigan4Life

May 22nd, 2014 at 7:29 PM ^

didn't cause Warren to go undrafted. When a player falls farther than expected, it's 1. he got medically redflagged by team doctor and 2. has character issues (maybe to some extent, 3. he didn't interview well at combine or on visit). Players rarely dropped because of combine workouts.  Scouts have a good idea of a player's athleticism before the combine workouts and it's basically a confirmation of their estimation.  If they have a bad workout, they'll drop them by a round at a maximum.

jethro34

May 22nd, 2014 at 2:11 PM ^

I was happy to see Branch mentioned. Outside of Henson, he was the first that came to mind when I saw the question. I remember being really frustrated when he declared he was living because he could have had a huge senior season and really helped the defense that next year.

Voltron is Handsome

May 22nd, 2014 at 2:14 PM ^

Is it just me or have many of our football players who left early turn out to be nothing in the NFL?

UofM626

May 22nd, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^

That come to mind that really hurt us and eventually just hurt themselves!



Drew Henson - Cost us a

National Championship!!



Shazer - he was a monster as. Safety an it killed our D!!!!

PepperHicks

May 22nd, 2014 at 6:28 PM ^

Jon Vaughn.  Gained around 1400 yards with 6 YPC and was named Big Ten Player of the Year as a RS sophomore.  He was on the cusp of becoming a truly great Michigan RB when he bolted to the NFL.  

JayMo4

May 22nd, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^

Charles Woodson!  What a selfish jerk.  He hadn't even proven anything yet.

 

Naa but srsly Drew Henson.... If he stays, we probably go 12-0 in the regular season in '01 (we only lost a couple of one possession games with a sophomore Navarre starting) and beat Tressel in his first year, possibly setting a tone early in the series and maybe even short-circuiting their title run in '02 (would they have had the poise to beat Michigan had they not done it the previous year, given all of the choke jobs under Cooper?  Never know.)

The argument could be made that Henson leaving early was the first brick to drop out of the foundation holding our program together.  That's not the same thing as claiming that he was personally responsible, I'm just saying that it was the first big negative occurence with lasting consequences during the Carr era.  If we go 12-0 in '01, if we beat Tressel in two (or maybe even all three) of the first three years we played, who knows how much differently the following several seasons may have played out.

rob f

May 22nd, 2014 at 7:22 PM ^

Frank Zappa--- an amazing guitarist, superb musician and composer, an outspoken genius who had absolutely no fear of tweaking the noses of politicians and various other hypocrites.  We lost him to prostate cancer 2 decades or so ago and the world of music has yet to fill the void left by his departure.

Sorry to go OT here, but how could I not pay homage to FZ after seeing your above MGoUserpic...

jethro34

May 22nd, 2014 at 10:07 PM ^

If Henson would have stayed, any chance David Terrell stays as well? It's hard to argue when he was picked 8th overall, but that 2001 team could have done so much more. They replaced a couple amazing players on the line and AT, but if they could have gone through all of that with Henson and Terrell? They certainly could have rolled off 11 wins, but I'm not sure they could have beaten Tennessee, as much as I hate them. That was a terribly lopsided game.

Perkis-Size Me

May 23rd, 2014 at 9:00 AM ^

Burke and Hardaway. Easily. Had they stuck around this year, we in all likelihood win the national title, not to mention wipe the floor with the Big Ten.

Maddogrdt

May 23rd, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^

Then can I alter the rule against amateurism is terms of swimmers- if so think of the swimmers UM could have had for NCAA's...we would be the all time winner in swim meets with those lads/ladies!

 

If we have to stick to football/basketball

I think we are all forgetting Glen Rice (should have red-shirted Freshman year) Having him on team we would have been clear cut pick to repeat

 

 

 

umfanchris

May 23rd, 2014 at 2:36 PM ^

So I wanted to Name some players that have not been said that I liked or could have been very good: 

Basketball:

  • Bernard Robinson Jr. - Left for the NBA after his Junior year. Helped us win the 2004 NIT, He was a very versatile player and one of my favorite Ellerbe Recruits.
  • Kevin Gaines – Dismissed from the team after his freshman year, but he was good. Averaged almost 12 ppg, 4 rebounds, and 4 and a half assists per game as a freshman. Had league troubles though.
  • Manny Harris – Left after his junior year for the NBA. Helped lead us back to our first NCAA tournament in 11 years. Averaged 18.1 ppg, 6 rpg, 4 asts, 2 spg.

 

Football

  • Adrian Arrington – Left after his RS Junior year for the NFL. Had an awesome Capital One bowl game win with 9 receptions for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns.
  • Sam McGuffie – Transferred after his freshman year to Rice. Unfortunately had a couple concussions during the season. He was always exciting and no one will forget the Mcguffie Mix tapes!
  • Ryan Mundy – Graduated from Michigan but had one year left of Eligibility and transferred to West Virginia. Never played a ton for Michigan, but showed he was a talented player since he had a good year with WV and is having a very productive career in the NFL. Has over 200 NFL tackles and is a Super Bowl Champion!
  • Dan O’Neill – OT/G that transferred once Rich Rod got here. Transferred to Western and had a decent career. Was a top 10 T out of high school.