The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 93 BY CHRIS BALAS S ome coaches, like Rich Rodriguez, go easy on the praise for their play- ers, even the best of the best. Denard Robinson, Taylor Lewan … nobody was put on a pedestal by the former Michigan leader. That approach — and how much he loved to run the ball — might have been the only two qualities Rodriguez had in common with former U-M coaching legend Bo Schem- bechler. The latter was known for being hard on his players and saving the praise, and Ro- driguez was much the same. "I've learned if you pat them on the back too much," Rodriguez said when he first ar- rived in Ann Arbor, "that's when they crap in your hand." That's one lesson Jim Harbaugh didn't learn from Schembechler in his five years on campus. The former Michigan quarterback and current U-M head man has no problem coaching his players hard, but he always gives praise where it's due. When he does, you know it's well deserved. And that's one big reason why the Michi- gan fan base is excited about sophomore line- backer Junior Colson. After showing flashes his freshman year, the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder made a huge leap this spring, to the point that Harbaugh couldn't contain his praise. "Junior really has it all," he said. "He's got a great work ethic, great attitude, all the physical skills … he's really smart. A guy that you know can run the defense. "I love Junior. The longer it takes for Junior to figure out how good he is, the better off Junior's going to be, because there's always room for improvement." And because then there's a chance Michi- gan will keep him for a few more years, too. "You don't want to think you've arrived," Harbaugh added. "But that's the kind of player he is." From Haiti To Ann Arbor Via Tennessee As good a player as he's becoming — and he has a chance to be one of the best to ever play linebacker at Michigan, several around the program have said — he's even more impressive as a person. The 19-year-old is a humble future star whose outlook was shaped by perseverance, appreciation and good old-fashioned hard work. Orphaned at the age of 7 in Haiti when his father passed away, Colson was placed in a children's home run by his uncle as one of his dad's last wishes. He grew up in poverty, but by all accounts, he was never one to complain, always smiling and making the best of his situation with the other kids. His story has been well documented, in- cluding a feature by the Big Ten Network last fall on "The Journey" program — his adoption by the Colson family out of Ten- nessee after his future mother, Melanie, and sister Amanda discovered him on a mission trip to his home country. There was some- thing that drew them to the then 8-year-old, almost a sense that it was meant to be. They were immediately taken with his bright smile and the sparkle in his eye, Mela- nie recalled in the feature. "It was kind of overwhelming to see all of these kids that are happy and joyful, and we're in the middle of poverty," Amanda added. "It was a little bit heartbreaking, be- cause you see so much of the poverty and where they're coming from." Melanie and her husband, Steve, were already foster parents in Tennessee. It didn't take long to agree to start the adoption pro- cess, and two years later, a young Junior Colson was on a plane for the first time to begin a life-altering journey. When the jet landed, he was greeted with welcome signs from several Colson friends and family members, including his new brother, Joshua. One of his first memories would help shape his destiny. "The first thing I saw in America was a Michigan hat," Colson recalled. "That's what all my family was wearing, because they're big Michigan fans." But soccer was his first love. When they asked him what he wanted to do to release his energy, in fact, that was his first sug- gestion. The only problem — it wasn't soccer sea- son. So, they signed him up for football. In- stantly. He didn't speak any English, but they helped him by holding up signs with which direction he should run when playing running back. When he got past the language barrier — and it didn't take long — one of the first things he said was, "I want to play college football." "We had to remind him that junior high and high school come before college," his mother recalled with a grin. "Let's just take this one year at a time." They did allow him to go to the camps of his choice, however, even schools that likely wouldn't be options. The more football and the more interaction with kids his age, the better, and he took advantage of it. As Colson progressed, it became clear his college football aspirations were no longer just crazy dreams. He became an elite line- backer, ranked among the top 100 prospects in the 2021 senior class. While on the road for a camp prior to his junior season, his mom decided to just keep driving north. "We first went to a camp in Kentucky," Colson recalled. "She said, 'You know what, we're halfway to Michigan. We might as well go on up to Michigan.'" A day later, after he impressed during several events, Harbaugh called him into his office and offered him a scholarship. Later in the day, Colson became a Wolverine. Ready For Lift Off As you watched him hanging with his teammates at the May 22 Chicago Mega Camp led by J.J. McCarthy and family, teaching kids the age he was when he first came to America, it was hard not to think back to how Colson got his start. The kids mobbed him for his time and his autograph, but he and his teammates made time for all of them. Several hours of teaching the same drills can be monotonous, but he approached each session with the same high level of enthu- siasm. If someone approached him, he an- AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY After A Tough Start In Life, Sophomore Linebacker Junior Colson Is On The Cusp Of Stardom