The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1508023
24 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2023 W hat follows is an excerpt from the newly published book "Lloyd Carr's Michigan Football Journey." This insightful book details how, as interim coach, Carr picked up the pieces from Gary Moeller's sudden departure and started win - ning football games. In fact, he won so many that he won a national championship, five Big Ten titles and six bowl game trophies. Carr's football story is about a loyal assistant coach who stepped up in one of the most difficult times in Michigan football history. Within three years, he took the Wolverines to Michigan's first national championship in 50 years. Carr was an outstanding leader who won a lot of games and coached his players to high levels of performance. He never had a losing season in 13 years and finished with some of the most impressive numbers ever posted by a Michigan football coach. This book gives you a comprehensive look at his amazing Michigan career. After reading this book, you will know why he is the winningest coach in the history of the winningest program in college football his - tory. And you will learn how he quietly became a coaching legend who landed in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011. CHAPTER 1: LIFE BEFORE COACHING AT MICHIGAN (1945 TO 1980) Lloyd Henry Carr Jr. was born on July 30, 1945, in Hawkins County, Tenn. His loving parents, Lloyd Sr. and his mother Pauline, also had a daughter named Pa- tricia who was older than Lloyd. When Carr was 10 years old, the fam- ily moved to Riverview, Mich. Lloyd's father landed a job at the sprawling Mc- Clouth Steel Plant in Trenton, Mich. Riverview is located about six miles south of Detroit. It was a typical suburb that was built by hard-working men and women who labored in the steel mills, automobile plants, and other area busi- nesses. If you look on the City of Riverview's website today, the city tagline reads, "A great place to live, work and play." It appears that this statement has been true for a lot of residents over the years. I think it was a good place to live for the Carr family, too. A SUCCESSFUL ATHLETE AT RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL Lloyd fell in love with sports at a young age. His favorite baseball player when he lived in Tennessee was Mickey Mantle. Then, he became a fan of a De- troit Tiger named Al Kaline. Detroit Lion quarterback Bobby Layne also be- came a Carr favorite after he landed in Riverview. The City of Riverview had all the youth sports opportunities that a young man could possibly want. Carr grew up to be an outstanding athlete at Riverview Community High School. He earned nine varsity letters since he was a three-sport athlete who played football, basketball and baseball. He played on Riverview's Class B state championship football team that led the state in scoring in 1961. Carr did not start as a sophomore on the varsity but he must have played a lot since the Pirates won every game, except one, by at least 20 points. As a senior, captain Carr helped lead the Riv- erview Pirates to an undefeated season, a conference championship, and a No. 5 ranking in Class B football in 1963. He finished his football career as an all- state quarterback in Class B football for his outstanding play in 1962. Carr played on a lot of winning teams in Riverview. During Carr's high school days, the Pirates won state champi- onships in football and cross country. They also finished as the second-best Class B swimming team in 1963 by one-half point. The Pirates won league championships in basketball and base- ball when Lloyd was in high school. Riverview also won a district cham- pionship in basketball during the Carr Years at RHS. Wow, Riverview was an athletic pow- erhouse! Guess what? Carr was named as the "Best Male Athlete" in his senior year at Riverview. Of course, this was quite an honor considering the quality BOOK EXCERPT: Lloyd Carr's Michigan Football Journey BY BARRY GALLAGHER "Lloyd Carr's Michigan Football Journey" is the story of how an interim coach stepped up for the Michigan Wolverines and eventually won his way to a national championship and into the College Football Hall of Fame. A three-sport athlete at River view (Mich.) High School, Carr was an all-state quarter- back (1962) in football. PHOTO COURTESY OF RIVERVIEW COMMUNITY SCHOOLS