The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/130469
where are they now? success despite the team's struggles. The Dolphins didn't make the playoffs in his five seasons, but Long was able to play four years with college teammate and quarterback Chad Henne, continuing that friendship, and had a great relationship with owner and Michigan alum and donor Stephen Ross. Stability, though, is critical in building relationships and to onfield success, and the Dolphins never seemed to have it where it mattered most — within the coaching staff. That steadiness is what led to Michigan's success under Lloyd Carr, and Long sees several of the same qualities in Fisher, who spent 16 years with the Houston/Tennessee organization before moving on. "I had a great relationship with Coach Carr, and I still do," Long said. "It's such an honor to have that type of relationship even after you're done playing. Whenever I call, he always answers, and when I look for advice, he always gives it. He's an amazing coach and person off the field." And one of the key reasons Long returns each year for the Griese/ Hutchinson/Woodson golf outing to benefit C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. Part of Carr's teachings included frequent visits to the hospital to help struggling children, a life lesson Long said helped shape him as a man. Carr's teachings are also evident in current head coach Brady Hoke, Long noted. Long checks in with him a few times a year to offer his support. "He left a year before I got to Michigan, but I got to know him through the camps I went through at Michigan," Long said. "I really respect him and the way he coaches, like hearing stories of guys he coached in the past at Michigan and how much they respected and loved him. He's definitely a Michigan Man. I'm so happy and proud he's our coach." Just as he's proud to wear his colors as an alumnus. Long has formed a bond with former linemen Jon Jansen and Steve Hutchinson, to name a few, and he helped mentor fifth-year senior Taylor Lewan when he needed advice on returning for his final season. It was the least he could do, he said, for the school that did so much for him in his five years. "I unofficially visited a lot of the Big Ten schools, but going to Michigan was definitely my dream," he said. "I grew up an hour and 20 minutes from Ann Arbor. I was a fan of the Michigan tradition, everything that went into Michigan football. When I went there going into my senior year for camp and Coach Carr offered me, it was such an amazing dream come true. I wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else." The NFL also has its perks, though, and he's expecting a similar experience in St. Louis as the one he enjoyed in Miami, hopefully with more winning. "Football is football, but the NFL definitely has a business side to it," he said. "But I'm lucky. Mr. Ross was an amazing owner and gave me my first shot, and I'll always be thankful for that. It was just time for my wife and me to move on, and I'm just excited for this new chapter in my career." ❏