The Wolverine

August 2020

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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54 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2020   WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Roundtree recalled a little frustra- tion over some drops keeping him from a 1,000-yard campaign, but he still insisted, "I turned into a whole different guy." He certainly attained a different result against Illinois. "That was the team I wanted to beat up on," Roundtree said. "We'd lost the previous year, and I felt like it was my fault, because I didn't score on that deep ball." He didn't have to wait long in 2010 for a scoring chance on which he wouldn't get "hawked." One play, as a matter of fact. On the first play from scrimmage against the Illini, Robinson took a shotgun snap, made two jab steps forward to draw the defense and pitched a quick toss to Roundtree, who bolted away 75 yards for a touchdown. He wasn't getting caught, and al- though it took three overtimes, Mich- igan ultimately came away with a 67-65 win. There weren't enough victories, though, and approaching the Gator Bowl against Mississippi State, the Wolverines suspected change stood on the horizon at head coach. "As players, we knew," Roundtree said. "He was basically on the hot seat, going on his third year and not really being successful. But it was starting to click. He was starting to get his guys he had as freshmen developed. "Once I got off the plane back to Detroit, I got an alert from ESPN, saying RichRod is fired. Once they brought in Brady Hoke, there was a mindset from my class, who were seniors now, to go out with a bang." The first shot of the big bang oc- curred in the classic against the Irish. Notre Dame grabbed a 24-7 lead in that one, and some special locker room guests weren't having it. "Notre Dame was kicking our tail until after halftime," Roundtree pointed out. "Once halftime came, Charles Woodson and Desmond [Howard] came in our locker room and told us, 'What are you all doing? This is not Michigan football!'" They also delivered a challenge, noting somebody was going to make a play to win the game. Enter Roundtree, following a furi- ous Michigan comeback. His only pre- vious catch in the contest got called back for holding. This time, with sec- onds remaining and Michigan trailing by three, he knew his time had come. "I'm seeing how the DB was play- ing," Roundtree said. "I've got to get to the back of the pylon. Denard threw the ball up in the air, and it kind of got lost in the lights. If you ever look at the pictures, my eyes are looking at the lights, but I'm holding the ball. "I didn't leave The Big House until 1 o'clock. Then I'm looking at ESPN and we made the top 10. That was the No. 1 play. I'm thinking ESPN, that's something. I loved that." Everyone loved the finish to Michi- gan's 11-2 season under Hoke. The Wolverines beat the Buckeyes in a 40-34 shootout and then took down Virginia Tech 23-20 in the Sugar Bowl. Roundtree's biggest memory of beating Ohio State involved a near disaster, even in a win. OSU quarter- back Braxton Miller's key overthrow helped save the day. "Once they got the ball back, thank God Braxton didn't hit DeVier Posey on the go route," Roundtree said. "That was a touchdown. We went for the double-move and Braxton over- threw him. Just like that, we could have lost that game." They didn't, or the Sugar Bowl ei- ther, capping a strong season. "Beating Ohio State and winning the Sugar Bowl meant so much to a lot of people," Roundtree said. "The seniors left out on top. We became winners." They slipped back to 8-5 in Roundtree's fifth year in the pro- gram, due in part to a vastly over- turned roster and an ill-fated opener against Alabama. Roundtree went from there to eventual workouts with several NFL squads, prior to an ill-fated year of Arena Football in Fort Collins, Colo. He said he'd give the league a year. "After the first game, I don't even know if I was going to give it that," Roundtree noted. "I don't like play- ing on this turf. I'm diving into the stands, catching footballs, I'm hurt- ing my body. "After that season, I said I'm going to hang it up." Thus began a coaching journey that is now on its fifth stop, including the last two seasons at Michigan. He is finding a home in coaching after circling back to Ann Arbor for a few more lessons. "It was a great experience for me," he said. "I grew so much the last two years." He'll be remembered for many more, any time the topic involves fantastic finishes against the Irish. ❑ The Roy Roundtree File M ichigan Accomplishments: Made 154 receptions for 2,304 yards and 15 touchdowns over a five-year career … Played on the last Michi- gan team to beat Ohio State … Earned All-Big Ten second-team no- tice as a redshirt sophomore. Professional Accomplishments: Hired several months ago as the wide receivers coach at Grand Valley State University … Served previous coaching stops at Michigan, Indi- ana State, Limestone and Colorado State-Pueblo. Michigan Memory: "The biggest one is graduating. I was the first one out of my family. I knew all the ob- stacles. As a freshman I was think- ing, I'm not playing, I'm about to leave, I'm just frustrated. My mom said, 'You're not leaving. You signed at Michigan, and you're staying at Michigan. Find a way.' I found a way. "That was a cherished moment. Before my grandfather passed, she saw me graduate from the Univer- sity of Michigan. It's not just a ran- dom college. It's the University of Michigan. That was a very special moment for me and my family." Education: Earned a BA in com- munications in the spring of 2012. Roundtree is entering his first season as the wide receivers coach at Grand Valley State. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY

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