The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 27 distinction via a Michigan career fea- turing a pair of All-America citations, a pair of Big Ten championships and sterling performances at the all-im- portant left tackle spot. Long began his career on a strong note, He made Rivals.com's Fresh- man All-America first team in 2004. Injuries plagued what should have been his second season on the field, severely limiting his action. But he and Michigan showed what they could do in 2006, Long serving as captain and an All-American on a squad that began the year 11-0. He earned Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year honors. Long passed on NFL Draft pos- sibilities after that season, returning to captain Michigan's 2007 crew. He became a finalist for the Lombardi Award (college football's top player, based on performance, leadership, character and resiliency) and Outland Trophy (top lineman). Again the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, Long garnered a second All-America designation, this one unanimous. 7. WR DESMOND HOWARD (1988-91) Howard represents the third Heis- man Trophy winner on this list, along with Woodson and Harmon. His un- believable 1991 campaign not only pro- pelled him to the highest college foot- ball honor, but also to an NFL career which would see him capture a Super Bowl MVP award as well. The Cleveland native did it all in '91. He made a school-record 19 touchdown receptions, many of them in spectacular fashion. That tally led the nation, and his 93-yard punt re- turn against Ohio State put a capper on a 31-3 decimation of the nation's No. 4 squad. Howard executed the Heisman pose in the end zone, previewing what he soon held in his hands. His other plau- dits included All-America status and Big Ten MVP honors, after setting still- standing school records with 23 total touchdowns and 138 points scored. He wound up with 3,943 career all- purpose yards (10th in school history) and 37 total touchdowns (eighth), twice pacing the Big Ten in receiving yards and TD receptions. The teams on which the future ESPN broadcaster performed went 29-7, winning three Big Ten titles. 8. OL STEVE HUTCHINSON (1996-2000) Hutchinson became one of the most dominant offensive linemen in Michi- gan history, his career culminating in a national championship in 1997. The one-time defensive tackle out of Florida switched positions to offensive guard prior to his redshirt freshman season, and dominated thereafter. Not only he start four straight years, he earned first-team All-Big Ten recog- nition in each of them. He became the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, a two-time captain and a two-time All- American. The Outland Trophy awarders iden- tified the Michigan standout as a final- ist for that honor in 2000, his senior sea- son. That's when the awards piled up for Hutchinson, prior to his first-round selection by the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL Draft. Hutchinson played 12 years in the NFL and appeared in the Pro Bowl no fewer than seven times. Yet his stalwart work as a redshirt freshman on a na- tional championship squad will always endear him to Michigan football fans. 9. E RON KRAMER (1954-56) Kramer became a tough, intensely competitive all-around performer for the Michigan squads of the mid-1950s. The two-time All-American and three- time first-team All-Big Ten performer demonstrated a versatility rarely seen any more in college football. Over three seasons, he made 53 re- ceptions for 880 yards as an offensive end, with nine touchdowns. He stood out on defense, long before extensive stats were kept in that area. He also punted and kicked under Oosterbaan. Kramer hauled in three touchdown passes against Missouri in 1955, and that record remained for 37 years at Michigan. The nine-time letter winner at Michigan (football, basketball, track) paced the Wolverines in scoring twice along the way. 10. LB RON SIMPKINS (1976-79) Simpkins proved to be a tackling machine for the strong Schembechler squads of the later 1970s. He remains Michigan's all-time leading tackler, with 516 stops. His 174 tackles in 1977 represent the most in a single season in Michigan football history, and with 168 more in 1978, Simpkins holds two of the top three spots. The bruising No. 40 hung no fewer than 25 double-digit tackles games on opponents, the most in program his- tory. His 10 in 1977 is the best single- season total at Michigan, and his nine the following year tied Mike Boren for second best. Simpkins didn't just get the job done against opponents Michigan steam- rolled. His personal-best 20 stops came in the biggest contest of any season, against Ohio State in 1977. Simpkins helped hold the Buckeyes at bay in a 14-6 Michigan victory at home to cap- ture the Big Ten championship. He didn't get credit for a forced fum- ble that could have proved decisive in the 1979 Rose Bowl. Simpkins stripped USC tailback Charles White of the ball short of the goal line, but officials gave the Trojans a touchdown — later dubbed the "Phantom Touchdown." That one made a huge difference in a crushing 17-10 loss. Simpkins' Michigan squads still went 38-10, with three Big Ten cham- pionships and a 3-1 mark against Woody Hayes' Buckeyes. He earned All-America honors in '79, to go with three All-Big Ten designations. ❏ Left tackle Jake Long was a two-time All- American and won a pair of Big Ten titles before going first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN