The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1517673
12 THE WOLVERINE ❱ APRIL 2024 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FORMER TIGHT END ERICK ALL REFLECTS ON TIME IN ANN ARBOR Tight end Erick All transferred from U-M in 2022 after missing most of the season with a back injury, and joined quarterback Cade McNamara at Iowa. There were some jabs thrown on the way out the door, but time heals all wounds, and All shed light on the situ- ation at the NFL Combine. "It was the hardest decision I've ever made in my life," he said. "I was there for four years. I had a lot of brothers there. I loved all my coaches. It was just a tough decision, and having to make that deci- sion I felt like was the best decision to me. "I felt like I was turning my back on my teammates, but they were all there for me. They're my brothers. I still talk to a lot of them today. They had my back and made sure that I was doing good. I love Michigan for that; I love Michigan forever. I just ended up having to go." Despite the parting of ways after the 2022 season, All still loves Michigan and was rooting for it to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. He had three different position coaches in Ann Arbor, and he said each of them brought something different to the table. "They pretty much taught me every- thing that a tight end needs to know," he said. "My first tight end coach was Sherrone Moore. Second was Coach [Jay] Harbaugh. And then I had G-News [Grant Newsome]. "Coach Moore was a perfectionist. You had to do everything perfectly. Coach Jay Harbaugh was a teacher. He taught you everything you need to know with block- ing, footwork, pass protection. … And G-News was a great offensive lineman at Michigan. Having a different variety of coaches at Michigan helped me out a lot and having that propelled me to be the tight end I am now." All had 21 catches for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns for Iowa this past season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in October. MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK Tight end Erick All transferred to Iowa after the 2022 season, but at the NFL Combine in late February he talked about his love for Michigan and his former teammates and coaches. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL