The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/144506
In terms of goals for the football team, head coach Brady Hoke calls a year without a Big Ten title "a failure," and Brandon noted it has been too long since U-M has been to the Rose Bowl. photo by per kjeldsen "I always follow it with great interest and heard back from the people who were participating, especially the student-athletes," Brandon said. "How I measure that program is the reaction of the players. The reason I love that program is because of what I hear from the student-athletes who are participating, and it's not so much about football. It's about life. "It's about lessons they learned from putting on the camp for the underprivileged kids in Southern California, having that responsibility, providing that mentorship for a day. To see warring gangs actually form a truce the morning of the clinic and participate together on the football field with a bunch of our student-athletes leading them is a pretty powerful life lesson." Those who belittle or take lightly the term "Michigan Man" don't see the emphasis put into shaping something beyond Big Ten champions, according to the AD. He's seeing a calculated effort to mold leaders. "The opportunity to understand a bigger picture, to understand a completely different perspective on life when you spend some time with Navy SEALs is amazing," Brandon said. "When they talk about risk, and they talk about leadership, and they talk about preparation, our kids have a completely different set of lenses, in terms of what life is all about, their role, and what kinds of things they can accomplish and aspire to be. "For me, there is very little football associated with that trip. There are a lot of life lessons, a lot of leadership development, a lot of great conversation that takes place as these players bond and prepare to think about their last season together. That's why I think the program is valuable and I support it." Game Day And The Future Brandon wants to see the football team supported from all quarters, including the student section. That's why, after a period of incentives and requests designed to ensure an earlier-arriving crowd in the northwest corner of the stadium, Michigan has moved to general admission seating for the students. Sentiments ranged from uneasiness to anger over the late-arrivals last year, and Michigan athletic officials decided they could no longer wait and hope for the student section