The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 45 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? the Ohio Stadium grass field a quagmire. "It was rainy," Trent said. "They call it making excuses, but it's been 10 years, so I can tell the truth. We get to that field, and that's before they had turf. That field was a disaster. "We get out there for pregame, and we could not get our footing for the life of us. We're sliding all over the field. We're like, we've got to figure this thing out." Buckeye receivers took advantage, proving a huge factor in Ohio State's 42-39 shoot-out win. "Unfortunately, we all played our worst games at the same time," Trent offered. "We knew what they were going to do. We had great insight and clues, and we had a great game plan. We just made mistakes we would never, ever make, and hadn't made all year. "With all that being said, we still had a chance to win. If we'd just played how we really should have played, things would have been different." Many sounded the call for a re- match in the national championship game. It never happened, then-Flor- ida head coach Urban Meyer arguing successfully against it. "Good old Urban Meyer put on his politician hat, whined like a baby for weeks, and he got it," Trent said. "There was no question, we were the two best teams in the country." It didn't look like it, when the Wol- verines went to the Rose Bowl and lost 32-18 to USC. But after the fi- nal week of the regular season, Trent cautioned, Michigan had nothing left in the tank. "That's one of those games where it mattered, but didn't matter," he said. "I know Michigan fans will hate for us to say that, because you want to go to the Rose Bowl and win. "But when you know you're sup- posed to be in the national champi- onship, it's tough. That team was re- ally good. We never recovered from Ohio State." The start to 2007 wasn't any bar- gain, given a shocker of an open- ing-game loss to Appalachian State and a blowout home defeat against Oregon. "I stand by Appalachian State be- ing the worst-scheduled football game in the history of college foot- ball," Trent said. "I don't know who decided to schedule the two-time defending I-AA national champions for your opening game. That team was good." He later played in the NFL against the likes of Corey Lynch, Armanti Edwards and Dexter Jackson, fully understanding how good they were. And after the subsequent "embar- rassing" loss to Oregon, Michigan needed to rally. They did, running off eight straight wins and pounding Meyer 's Tim Tebow-led Gators in the Citrus Bowl. "We matched up well against Flor- ida," Trent said. "We should have beaten them by 40 points, if my roommate [Mike Hart] doesn't fum- ble twice at the goal line. It was a fun game. Lloyd deserved it, and we got him a win." Carr's farewell gave way to the ill- fated Rich Rodriguez era and a 3-9 fifth-year senior season for Trent. "It was the absolute worst," Trent said. "I've never really bit my tongue on that. It was terrible, and it never really should have happened. It set Michigan back years. I feel like just now we're finally recovering. "It was a bad hire. It was a bad coach. It was a bad coaching staff. It was bad all around." After 2008, things got much bet- ter. Trent fulfilled his NFL dream, playing for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2009-11, and spent short stints with Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Washington. "I was blessed to live out a dream," he said. "I always wanted to play professional sports. The opportunity to play in the NFL was an absolute blessing." Feeling he had more to give than breaking up passes, Trent eventu- ally reached out to Michigan alum, Miami Dolphins owner and real es- tate magnate Stephen M. Ross. The encounter led to Trent's return home and a second career that has taken off. "Football and Michigan prepared me to do what I do now," Trent said. "You work hard, harder than every- body else, use the brain the Lord gave you, and you can be really suc- cessful. The Lord has really blessed me in what I'm doing now, and the opportunities I have." ❑ The Morgan Trent File Michigan Accomplishments: Earned a Big Ten championship ring as a true fresh- man … Played in 47 games, securing 147 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, 22 passes broken up, two fumble recoveries and a blocked kick. Professional Accomplishments: Played cornerback from 2009-11 for the Cincinnati Bengals … Signed by Indianapolis and Jacksonville, and claimed by Washington prior to retiring in 2012 … Works in real estate in Orange County, Calif., for The Related Companies, founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross. Michigan Memory: "I met my wife at Michigan. I've got two boys, Josiah and Jericho, who are 6 and 7, and I took them back to the Diag a couple of years ago before a football game. "Us all being there and having met my wife at the Diag … it meant a lot. I've met so many friends. Having my wife and my now family back at the place where we met was definitely special." Education: Earned a Liberal Arts degree in December 2008. Family: Married to wife Lizette, and the couple has two boys, Josiah, 7, and Jericho, 6. Trent is now the father of two young boys and works in real estate in Orange County, Calif., for The Related Companies, which was founded by Miami Dolphins owner and fellow U-M alum Stephen M. Ross. PHOTO COURTESY MORGAN TRENT