"Michigan is a spiritual team." Jim Harbaugh

I found it interesting that a number of the leaders on the team made a point to give credit to God, and to praise the spiritual atmosphere on the team. Here are several quotes, and links:

The coaches, they’re incredible. It's a happy locker room as you can imagine, but they're down there giving thanks to God. I told you this: It’s a spiritual team. And they're happy. They’re celebrating but they’re giving thanks. 

LINK:  Harbaugh postgame interview, Nov. 26

This isn't anything new. Harbaugh regularly used personal time to go on service trips to Peru. When the team went to Italy, including the Vatican in Rome, Harbaugh said:

"The role that (faith) plays in my life is in the priorities that I have," he said April 26, "faith, then family, then football."

LINK:  Jim Harbaugh, Catholic News Agency, Apr. 26, 2017

This came in the time he was able to personally present some Michigan shoes to Pope Francis.

Harbaugh humbly wanted to give all the credit to the team. He left the immediate field interviewer with JJ McCarthy to go fetch Donovan Edwards. When Edwards was asked about his performance, his first words were:

“First and foremost, all praises to the Lord,” he said. “He blessed us to be able to come play in this game. All of us who played in the game, we came out healthy and we got the victory. So all praises to the Lord.”

LINK:  Donovan Edwards, Sports Spectrum, Nov. 28, 2022

Edwards had a lot more to say, with Detroit WXYZ-TV and in the postgame conference:

“The Lord has blessed us to be capable of a lot,” he said. “We trust in God, we trust in each other; we have love for the Lord and we have love for each other. … We give glory to the Lord at the end of the game. . . . The reason I was able to do what I did is because of the Lord. I pray all the time and I talk to God all the time. He told me this is going to be our game for us, that I was going to have a breakout game.”

JJ McCarthy, as many of you know, is very generous with NIL money. Among other things:

JJ For the Kids supports a number of children’s hospitals across the country. Originally started after an interaction with a young fan, McCarthy’s foundation was founded “as a way to make a difference in the lives of kids in my communities, in the Chicagoland area and in Ann Arbor.” The foundation has branched out to also support the ChadTough and Oxford Strong foundations.

LINK:  JJ McCarthy donates NIL Money to O-Line and to Charity

But more than that, JJ is an incredibly centered young man, who spends 40 minutes a day in meditation, and 10 minutes before every game.

Somewhere between leading Michigan's offense, being a college student, navigating a handful of NIL projects, and attending various events, the 19-year-old finds 40 minutes daily to close his eyes and meditate.

"I (meditate) every single day, twice a day," McCarthy said following Michigan's 59-0 win over UConn. "Before the game, it's about getting into that present moment and finding that flow. I wake up, and I'll meditate for 30 minutes. And as everyone sees out by the field goal post, I'll meditate for 10 more minutes before the game."

LINK:  JJ McCarthy's X-Factor is daily meditation

The star of the team, Blake Corum, is also spiritual. As a boy, working for his Dad's landscaping business, his father shared:

“Blake always wanted to put some of his money that he earned in the church offering,” his father, James Corum, said in a telephone interview Monday. “Everything he does on and off the field, it just makes me proud to have him as my son.”

This continues with using NIL money to help the local Ypsi Community:

A day after hurting his left knee in a win over Illinois, he used funds from name, image and likeness deals to donate 300 turkeys, green beans, apple sauce, milk, a winter hat and hand sanitizer to families in Superior Township and Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Corum is humble, and not looking for credit, or just for good PR:

“The impressive part is, he’s not just out here as a volunteer doing the work, he’s writing the check,” said Bilal Saeed, who assists Corum on community service initiatives and NIL deals.

Corum, who also donated hundreds of turkeys last year, had to be convinced that publicly sharing what he does in the community served a greater good than worrying some people may think he’s trying to get credit for his charitable efforts.

LINK:  Michigan RB Blake Corum gives thanks during Ohio State week

Of course, as fans, we're going to focus on the X's and the O's out on the field. We will see the 2nd win in two years against OSU. But on the team, particularly with the leaders, their focus is on the strength they get from God, and in being humble, working together as a team.

There has been a lot of talk about the "culture" of the team. And about the culture elsewhere. I'll just say that in their interviews and comments, Jim Harbaugh, JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards and many others are happy to spell out what that culture is.