The Wolverine

October 2020

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1291402

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 25 of 51

26 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2020 He scored 49 touchdowns, averaging more than two per game. He also re- turned punts and kickoffs, served as a placekicker and punter, and played on defense as well. In his senior season, he won the Heisman Trophy, garnered Associ- ated Press Athlete of the Year honors and became the Most Valuable Player in the Western Conference. Harmon also saved his best for his final game, squaring off against Michigan's greatest rival. On a rain-soaked field in Columbus, Harmon simply did it all in Michigan's 40-0 rout of the Buckeyes. He rushed for three touchdowns, passed for two more, kicked four extra points, picked off three passes and punted three times for an average of 50 yards per attempt. Ohio State fans, appreciating the moment though not the outcome, gave Harmon a thunderous stand- ing ovation at the end of his greatest performance. 4. HB WILLIE HESTON (1901-04) Heston rolled into town with Field- ing H. Yost, and rolled out as perhaps the brightest star in the Michigan foot- ball galaxy for its first half century. He's still recalled as a tough, relentless runner for Yost's unparalleled "Point- A-Minute" squads that went 43-0-1. Heston's team résumé? Four na- tional championships, four confer- ence crowns and a scoring tally dem- onstrating unfathomable dominance: 2,326-40. The back from Galesburg, Ill., be- came a prime points producer for Yost in an era predating the passing game. Heston scored 72 touchdowns in 36 games for the Wolverines, a school re- cord (for perspective, running back Anthony Thomas is second with 56). He piled up more than 5,000 rushing yards (U-M's official all-time leader Mike Hart has 5,040), averaging better than eight yards per try. In the Tournament of Roses contest (later the Rose Bowl) in 1902, Hes- ton managed 170 yards on 18 tries in Michigan's dominant 49-0 win over Stanford. He wound up with a pair of All-America plaudits, as well as a place on any all-time Michigan list. 5. WR BENNIE OOSTERBAAN (1925-27) Oosterbaan became the first Wol- verine ever to earn three All-America distinctions in a career, and remains one of only two such, along with Carter. He dominated in three sports at Michigan — football, basketball and baseball. He made his greatest mark on the gridiron, performing for Michigan squads that went 20-4 and won a pair of conference championships. Ooster- baan and quarterback Benny Fried- man fashioned the most effective pass- ing combination of the 1920s — the famed Benny to Bennie connection. Oosterbaan caught 18 touchdown passes long before it was common. In fact, that school record stood for 53 years after the Muskegon, Mich., na- tive performed at U-M. He also stayed in Ann Arbor to ac- complish plenty more following his playing days. Putting in 20 years as an assistant coach, he eventually took over as head coach for Fritz Crisler in 1948. Oosterbaan produced a perfect 9-0 record and a national championship that season, making yet another recep- tion — that of National Coach of the Year honors. 6. OT JAKE LONG (2003-07) Michigan has produced a host of dominant All-Americans on the offen- sive line over the years. Only one was deemed worthy of the first overall selection in the NFL Draft. Long claimed that title, going to the Miami Dolphins as the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft. Long established himself as someone deserving of that Anthony Carter still ranks second in program history for career receiving yards (3,076), touchdown grabs (37) and 100-yard receiv- ing games (14), while he is third in all-purpose yardage (5,799). All were school records when he graduated. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY 3. WR ANTHONY CARTER (1979-82) Carter helped bring the passing era fully to Michigan football, with Bo Schembechler recognizing the potency from one of the most exciting Wolverines ever. Everyone else recognized it as well, with Carter becoming a three- time All-American. As a senior, Carter served as captain and earned MVP honors in the Big Ten. On his way to a pair of Big Ten championships and a 33-14 victory in the 1981 Rose Bowl, Carter produced 5,763 all-purpose yards as a re- ceiver and return man. He caught 161 passes for 3,076 yards, averaging 19.1 per reception. He scored 40 touchdowns, none more vocally straining for iconic U-M broadcaster Bob Ufer than the 45-yard, game-winning grab to beat Indiana on the final play in 1979. Carter 's speed and quickness astounded all who looked on, and Michigan's passing prowess rose sub- stantially from the option-heavy days of the 1970s.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Wolverine - October 2020