The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 95 He did his part this spring to the point that he was one of the top performers. If he meets the hype, new Michigan radio play-by-play man Doug Karsch noted, he'll be one of the Wolverines' best defenders in 2022. "I've heard nothing but great things," Karsch, the Wolverines' sideline reporter for 10 years, said. "It sounds like he's the player on the launching pad to stardom. You hear this about guys right before they absolutely explode, and you can tell early, he was just on a different level than most freshmen are physically. "There's a story I used to tell from work- ing the sidelines — you can almost pick all the freshmen out because physically, they just don't compare to the veterans, the guys that have been in college weight and condi- tioning programs, at training table. "Junior Colson would have fooled me from Day 1. I would never have been able to tell he was a freshman. He walked in ready to play college football. He's a step ahead." And he's taken another step this spring. With high potential comes high ex- pectations, and Colson has heard them. Many people still want to talk about last year, and what he and his teammates ac- complished. He'll accommodate them. At the same time, he understands how much more he has to give. Last year was last year. Now, it's time to build on it. "It felt great. It felt awesome to achieve what I already planned in my mind as goals," he said. "Now, I've just got to keep going. I've got to make All-Ameri- can now and dominate and do everything I've talked about and dreamed about. I want to take my game to a whole other level." It's hard to believe des- tiny hasn't played a part, starting 10 years ago when he first touched down in middle of the United States. Years later, he became a crucial part of Michigan's first Big Ten championship team since 2004, just the latest great step on his incred- ible journey. "It was awesome. I think I came at just like the right time," Colson said. "I was blessed when I came in that we had a lot of weapons, but there were a lot of ways I could find myself on the field with some of those greats. I think other teammates are going to be some of the greats too, and I want to join them soon." He appears to be well on his way. ❑ Michigan's Top Five Middle Linebackers Of The Last 35 Years Michigan has had its share of outstanding "men in the middle," including several Butkus Award nomi- nees (an honor given annually to the nation's top linebacker). Here are the Wolverines' five best at the position over the last 30 years: 5. Jarrett Irons (1993-96): A two-time captain, Irons left Michigan as the program's career tackles leader. He racked up 296 solo tackles among his 429 stops, 29 tackles for loss and 7 sacks, including a monstrous 16-tackle performance in an upset win at Ohio State in 1996. Irons led the team in tackles his last three seasons, was a unanimous All-American in 1996, and earned the Roger Zatkoff award as Michigan's top linebacker in both 1995 and 1996. 4. Larry Foote Jr. (1998-2001): Foote started 28 of the 48 games in which he appeared and notched 212 tackles (145 solo) and 11 sacks for minus-81 yards. His 44 tackles for loss (155 yards) ranked him fourth on Michigan's all-time list when he graduated. A two-time first team All-Big Ten selection, Foote earned All-America honors in 2001 and was also the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. The Pittsburgh Steelers took him in the fourth round, and he became a key part of their defense for many years, winning two Super Bowls with the franchise. He's currently co-defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL. 3. David Harris (2003-06): A knee injury his freshman year nearly derailed Harris' career, and he needed almost two years to recover. He became a starter in 2005 and finished his career with 196 tackles (136 solo tackles), 19 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He notched an outstanding 88 solo tackles in 2006, an elite year for the Michigan defense. Harris played 10 years with the New York Jets as a second-round pick after earning All-Big Ten and second-team All-America honors from the Associated Press (AP). He and running back (now U-M assistant coach) Mike Hart were co-MVPs of the 2006 squad. 2. Erick Anderson (1988-91): Anderson, the 1991 Butkus Award winner as the nation's top linebacker, still ranks third on Michigan's all-times tackles list with 390, including 286 solo stops. He became the only player in U-M history to lead the team in takedowns for four straight years. In addition to the Butkus Award, Anderson captured co-Big Ten Player of the Year and All-America honors in 1991 after leading the Wolverines to a fourth consecutive Big Ten title. He spent four years in the NFL. 1. Devin Bush Jr. (2016-18): Bush got his feet wet as a freshman and dominated his last two seasons as a starter, racking up 194 career tackles (83 solo). His 20 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks were often the result of his speed as a blitzer and his ability to run sideline to sideline. He was also a fear- some hitter. The two-time All-Big Ten selec- tion earned All-America honors in 2018, as well as Big Ten De- fensive Player of the Year rec- ognition. He went to Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, No. 10 overall, and is still with the team. In three seasons, he has made 205 tackles, including 11 for loss and has 4 sacks, with 2 interceptions. He is is the only Steelers rookie ever to eclipse 100 tackles. — Chris Balas Devin Bush was named the Big Ten's 2018 Nagurski–Woodson Defensive Player of the Year and the Butkus–Fitzgerald Lineback- er of the Year after recording 86 tackles, including 8.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks in his junior season. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN