Most Underrated UM Player of All Time?
Great post.
It was a thing of beauty seeing Askew catch a screen pass and do his work.
I will agree with John Kolesar. I loved watching that guy and I always thought he was underappreciated.
I will also bring up another name that I never hear anyone mention: Brad Cochran. Am I the only one who remembers him as being incredible? He was on an All-American list or two, but I just never hear his name any more. The guys here did their "all time Michigan draft" a while ago and none of them took Cochran. My old man's memory is getting shaky, but I seem to remember watching a game where the announcer said early on, "Cochran is so good that you might not hear his name all day--whoever he's covering will never be open and they won't throw to him." Maybe that's why no one remembers him. Woodson was amazing and you heard his name constantly. People talk about Woodson (and of course they should) and Leon Hall and Marlin Jackson and Ty Law and Tripp Welborne, but I never seem to hear about Brad Cochran. Maybe it was too long ago or maybe Cochran was a different kind of player than those guys. Or maybe I'm remembering him all wrong.
on Brad Cochran. Might not have been the fastest guy in the secondary, but he covered opposing receivers like a wet blanket---it seemed that nobody, no matter how heralded, had a good game against him.
I am so glad someone else remembers this! I was starting to think I had lost my mind and remembered him all wrong. Thanks for the verification and I'm still with you on the Kolesar love, too!
He was never the #1 guy because we had Derrick Alexander and Amani Toomer, but there was a reason why those guys couldn't be double teamed. He seemed to get better every year despite who the QB or WR opposite him was.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Boles was fantastic, he was better at getting to the edge than any Michigan RB i've ever seen except for maybe Butch Woolfolk. And once he got to the edge, he was a good bet to turn it into a huge run. Poor guy had his career ended way too early by a knee injury, the kind of injury that is now repairable with modern surgical techniques.
Tony's life story after that knee injury is pretty tragic as a whole. Haven't heard an update on him in awhile, but I hope he has been able to get his life back on track.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
definitely say Breaston was the most underutilized of the top talent M has had on the football field.
But for most underrated, if we're only looking at the M career, I think I'd have to go with Brian Griese. The kid led M to the first national title in...what, 49 years? He had a cool hand when it came to comebacks, especially leading the team against Iowa that year, and of course, managed the game like a pro and put it right in the hands of Tai Streets when it mattered in the Rose Bowl.
Griese.
I was going to offer the guy he was blocking for. Chris Howard was a really good back who is usually ignored because he was the least of our four starters in the 90s (Wheatley, Biakabatuka, Howard, A-Train) but he was still really good! Great out of the backfield, picked a hole and hit it hard, had power to run through people, good blitz pick ups.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
You must be thinking of Kevin Grady.
Jordan Kovacs
Ty Law.
While he was well recognized during his college years here, he was totally engulfed by Charles Woodson who played here shortly after Law and you rarely hear his name spoken when talking about UM greats. He was "great" at the college level and a damn good pro too.
In basketball - Loy Vaught. That was a man.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
People don't mention him much anymore, probably because he played most of his career right after Desmond Howard won the Heisman.
I know he got alot of love on this here blog, but outside of that, it seemed like everyone who ever mentioned him was using him as an example of the state of the program. While I don't think freshman Kovacs could walk in the door today and dethrone Peppers, I always admired him and thought of him as the light amongst the darkness, and as an example of exactly what Michigan has always stood for.
And he's still hanging on in the NFL, despite being an UDFA.
would be my choices.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
to be "What player do you appreciate more after his career than you did during his career?" the answer for me is clearly John Navarre. During his career, I remember thinking he was a bum. Now? He's one of my favorite players who played during my football memory.
My List:
1A) Denard
1B) Woodson
2) Jake Long
3) Woodley
4) Brandon Graham
5) Chris Perry
6) Navarre
BB is Juwan Howard. Always was overshadowed by webber and rose, but was an absolute stud.
Hockey, I'll go Andy Hilbert. Stud from one of the best eras of Michigan hockey, but camalleri is the guy everyone remembers. I think Hilbert was a better college player
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
is depressing.
...I mean, is he even a Michigan Man?