The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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22 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2023 BY JOHN BORTON B o Schembechler used to tell his players, "Nothing good happens after midnight." Sixth-year grad linebacker Michael Barrett might second that no- tion — in forceful fashion. Oh, his 2 a.m. strolls out into the Ann Arbor nights back in 2020 had nothing to do with getting in trouble or enjoying the celebrity of a University of Michigan football player. But he still struggled to see the good in them, especially at the end of an 18-hour day. He should have been experiencing the time of his life, with one of the highest- profile college football programs any- where. He wasn't. He and his teammates struggled to a miserable, COVID-short- ened 2-4 season on the field. Off it, Barrett found himself slammed with six classes, and keeping up proved a huge challenge. He'd switched from a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end spot to inside linebacker after the trun- cated season ended. Learning a new po- sition — in a new defense, no less — got stacked on top of everything else. When the dust from football practice cleared, he'd head to his desk job at the Michigan Union, answering phones, di- recting people with inquiries. When 2 a.m. hit, he was free to do anything he wanted — like hit the pillow. Struggling team, struggling point in his career, juggling way too much — Barrett found himself scraping bottom. "That COVID year was a down year," he said. "I got down, mentally. That was one of my lowest points." Fast forward 2.5 years. Barrett stands as a stalwart team captain, someone head coach Jim Harbaugh insists every young Wolverine linebacker should emulate. The young man out of Valdo- sta, Ga., bears two Big Ten championship rings, a pair of wins over the supposedly unbeatable Ohio State Buckeyes, and two trips to the College Football Playoff under his belt. It's a far cry from the toughest times, and Barrett appreciates Michigan's lofty perch, one the Wolverines can enhance in his final weeks wearing a Michigan uni- form. Barrett doesn't forget his strug- gles, though. He appreciates them. They've shaped him for the fu- ture, and there's a tinge of grati- tude in him — if not for the tough times themselves, for what they've wrought. "Being able to grind through that, grow through that, will be with me forever," he said. "It means a lot. I have to give all the glory to God. I prayed a lot during that time. "It means a lot to see myself come out of it. The place I was in, and seeing where I am now, with the success I'm hav- ing, and the success we're having as a team. Looking back on it, it feels great." IN THE MIX Barrett found him- self in the middle of an elite Michi- gan defense a year ago. His 72 tackles ranked second on t h e tea m , a n d the third-team A l l - B i g Te n l i n e b a c k e r added 3.5 BACKING IT UP Six-Year Linebacker Vet Michael Barrett Saves The Best For Last