The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 13 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Student-Athlete Of The Month Men's Basketball Senior C.J. Baird C.J. Baird attended high school at Novi Catholic Central, just 30 miles from the campus of the University of Michigan, and the lifelong fan of the Maize and Blue wanted nothing more than to pursue his future career by attending U-M's prestigious Ross School of Business. That is, until more op- portunity arose. "I honestly wasn't even thinking about playing college bas- ketball at the time," the Wolverines' senior walk-on forward admitted. "I was just focused on going to school. "My high school coach showed belief in me and gave me a shot, talked to [former U-M head coach John] Beilein, and that's when I really started to believe I could do it." The sense of confidence and belonging only strengthened when he made the team after trying out. "That's when I really started believing," Baird said. Succeeding in both school and sports is not easy, but that's why Baird puts in the extra time. When he has an hour or two on a road trip, in between the team's film session and walkthrough, he hits the books. On other nights, he'll stay after practice to get more shots up. "Sometimes it's very difficult, I will admit," Baird said. "I think the best thing that I've learned is how to be efficient and effective with my time." Whatever the formula, it's worked. A finance major, Baird is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a three-time U-M Academic Achievement award recipient. "Those are the most rewarding things, because I am here as a student first and as an athlete second," he said. "It's really important to me to get that recognition. My education is going to carry me the furthest in my life. It's something that really has prepared me for the processional world." He's also frequently lauded for the job he does as a scout team player in practice, while he makes the most of his op- portunities in games, too. When the Wolverines were up big on Texas A&M in the 2018 Sweet 16 in Los Angeles, Baird hit a pull-up three- pointer from the top of the key put the Maize and Blue ahead by 27. It not only made his teammates on the bench go wild, it even earned him a shout out on Twitter from Heis- man Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, an A&M alum, who was in attendance. He also hit a shot from deep in the tournament the follow- ing year, again in the Sweet 16, this time against Texas Tech, though it came in a 63-44 loss. A fan favorite, Baird appreciates the love he's received from the U-M faithful, especially because it means the work, which largely takes place behind the scenes, has paid off. "When I step out on the court, I want to make my mark," he said. "I have the confidence to do that now, with what Coach [Juwan] Howard and Coach Beilein instilled in me. As a walk-on, you don't get many chances, so when you get out there, you have to make sure you make the most of it. And that's what I try to do every time, whether I'm shooting the ball, making assists, talking on defense, stuff like that. I want to stand out and make sure people notice that. "What's been great is the way people have really re - sponded to it. They see the energy, they see the excitement, because I'm just happy to be out there in the first place. And secondly, I feed off the energy and it really helps me when my teammates have my back, too. All of that combined is really special. I couldn't have asked for anything more." After graduation, Baird has a summer internship lined up at Ernst & Young, a "Big Four" accounting firm. He then hopes to be accepted into U-M's one-year accounting mas- ter's degree program, which will bring him even closer to becoming a certified public accountant. A native of the east side of Michigan, Baird envisions work- ing as an accountant in the same area in which he grew up, hoping to climb his way up the corporate ladder. "I really see no reason for me to leave, when everything has gone so well for me around here," Baird said. — Clayton Sayfie Baird has played in 25 games during his first three years, and con- nected on a three-pointer in each of U-M's Sweet 16 games in the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Tournaments. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY