Favorite Wolverine Football Player

Marcus Ray

/s

Woodson, Howard, Braylon, Mike Martin and Winovich 

Harbaugh. Competed (yeah, as if...) against him in grade school - figured he'd be a pro baseball player the way he could throw. Then he was the QB at Michigan when I was a student.

Wheatley. A great competitor and person. Probably the best back we've had in modern times. That huge run in the Rose Bowl - the only bowl game I've ever attended.

Since I'm a 2007 grad, mine for many years was Braylon. It makes me extra sad that he lost his mind ?

Rob Lytle ... #41 is still the jersey number of choice.  I mean, look at this photo:

Note the chipped paint on the helmet, the wound on the wrist, and it looks like he's not wearing a mouth guard. 

My college intramural basketball jersey number was #41.  

Ed Shuttlesworth

My favorite is Denard "Shoelace" Robinson and it isn't even close.

1. AC

2. Butch Woolfolk 

3. Harlan Huckleby

Rob Lytle, Tripp Welborne, Ian Gold, Sam Sword, Tony Boles, Ty Law, the A Train, Chris Perry, Woodson...so many to choose from 

Woodson.... Prescott Burgess, manningham, Sam sword, Vada Murray (RIP),Denard idk there is a bunch. 

Anthony Carter

Sir Charles Woodson. I am 37,I would act like a kid if I every get to meet him.

Icing on the cake is I have family from Fremont, who are also Ohio State fans.

First favorite that got me started

Bob Timberlake , a qb that wore number 28

Harbaugh #1.  And I’m not saying that now that he’s the coach...he’s been my fav since I watched him play in the 80’s.   Wheatley #2.   A threat to score every time he touched the ball.  Our version of a Hershel Walker/Bo Jackson type running back.  

Woodson, Toomer, Chris Perry, David Harris, Shazor, DPJ

Like the poster above said:  Too many to list.  I love this topic when it comes up since it is fun to reminisce and look some of these guys up on youtube.  

The MVP for the next time we beat OSU. could be the long snapper, don’t care. 

denard, then hart, then braylon.  didn't watch college football as a kid, otherwise it would be woodson / shoelace tie for favorite.  

*honorable mention: vincent smith, because i frequently used to see him shopping at the same kroger when i was in grad school and always felt the impulse to challenge him to a race (never did). i did a lot of drugs in college.  

Braylon against MSU is my all-time favorite. He was unstoppable.

Greg Skrepenak and pretty much his entire offensive line.  Supposedly the first line to average over 300 pounds.  (no idea if true or not.)

Mark Messner

Woodson (of course)

Ty Law was pretty sweet.

Derrick Alexander and Desmond Howard

AC and Harbaugh.

A-Train

Wheatley Sr.

Zach Charbonet when he tears it up next year. 

I’m not totally sure but the best performance that I can remember that I enjoyed was Chris Perry. It was the last time we legit beat Ohio State. I just remember him running for five yards. Then he would lay on the ground looking like he was hurt. Slowly get up and then run for five more yards on the next play and repeat. Since that, Denard did it. I was there for that one. I had endzone seats. I was only a few rows back and got to watch him scamper in for a touchdown leaving broken ankles in his wake. That game’s conclusion was the last time I was out on the block M at midfield. 

Charles Woodson...

John Vitale!

I’ll go with Wheatley. Just a perfect back - big, strong, fast, shifty. So exciting to watch him play 

I love Woodson for all the reasons discussed on this topic.  But Denard was pure joy to watch.  That dude could play.  Every snap picked me up out of my seat.  Just sucks that his time at Michigan coincided with the worst Michigan coaching in the past 50 years.

1 - Denard

2 - Woodson

3 - Howard

I don’t know that I can pick a favorite, but the ones that helped knit the fabric of my fanhood growing up were:  Tyrone Wheatley, Elvis Grbac, Desmond, Todd Collins, Touchdown Timmy, Mercury Hayes, Jarrett Irons, Hutchison, Ty Law...I'm still mad at Ed Davis though, for the fumble that let Colorado back in it.  Ok, maybe not mad...just disappointed.

AL BORGES

OK - I didn't see him play but: Benny Oosterbaan.

Big Ten batting champion in baseball. Big Ten scoring champion and All American in basketball. Big Ten touchdown leader, 3 time All American and team captain in football.  

Awarded the Western Conference Medal of Honor for proficiency as a scholar-athlete

Turned down offers to play pro football and baseball. Started coaching as an assistant immediately after graduation and stayed at UM for the rest of his life. 

Served as basketball head coach and football head coach. Won a national championship in football and was named national coach of the year.

Loved Chris Floyd

Jamie Morris

Jarrett Irons

AC.

Desmond Howard.  Not a close second.  The catch against ND on 4th and 1 was the best play of my life.  Knew he won the Heisman at that moment and it seemed like beating Notre Dame was more important than beating Ohio State at that time.  What a magical moment and what a great player.  He was Denard Robinson, Charles Woodson and your other favorite player wrapped in one.  Love Desmond Howard.

Besides all the obvious, I really enjoyed watching Chris Perry and Mario Manningham play

always Denard

Really off the beaten path here, but I came up with this reflexively:

Mo Hurst

The best DT of his era - nationwide. Always seemed like one of the good ones, personality wise. His good-hearted belly rubs may have sold my wife on Michigan football more than any other player or characteristic. And my heart naturally goes out to him for NFL GM's draft foolishness. So glad he's making them all look like doofuses.

Nominees.....

1.  Harbaugh was always my favorite as a kid growing up in the 80s twenty mins from Ann Arbor.  Always loved and will love his intensity and confidence.  I emulated his game as a legendary IM QB and followed his career as a a player and coach and was down to 1% BPONE the day of the press event.

2.  Desmond was my favorite by a mile as a student early 90s.  Even ran into him once in the old business school and said something stupid like “nice game!” after he beat ND.  And he was fucking cool enough to give me his 1M watt smile and said “thanks!” without an ounce of cynicism. 

3.  Denard.  As a player no explanation needed.  As a Dude he is The One.   His joy not only as a player as he showed often but as a student at basketball games, etc - he just simply exuded joy.  And when he was playing for the Jags he was at a f’ing Walmart signing autographs and my sister (and fellow alum) took her 2 young boys to meet him.  Well the lines weren’t long at Walmart and my sister and her kids hung out and shot the shit with shoelace for like a half hour.  Cool Dude.

Winner:  Phillip Brabbs 

Denard. 

Didn't we do this just a couple of weeks ago?

16 on the field, #1 in my heart...

I can’t possibly pick one.

Harbaugh the player... his attitude.

Woodson

AC

Denard

Leach

After the last week or so, Winovich is right there for me.