The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 103 cluding some of the best players in Mich- igan football history. Former All-Big Ten running back Stan Edwards gave us wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who helped lead the Wolverines to a pair of Big Ten titles in 2003 and '04 as one of the best at his position to wear the uniform. Former All-American Chris Hutchin- son's son, Aidan, wore his dad's No. 97, and — to his dad's delight — did it even better than his old man. Many would say the younger "Hutch" was as responsible as anyone for the program's renaissance in the last three years, starting with the 2021 Big Ten championship. When former U-M defensive back Deon Johnson (1990-1994) sent his son, Will, to Michigan, he knew he had some- thing special. He wasn't sure how good his boy would be, but he had an inkling when his son had just turned 13. "We were having him compete with the high school kids, and he used to go against these kids that were about to be seniors," Deon Johnson recalled. "I'd take him to Sound Mind, Sound Body work- outs, and he'd go out there and hold his own. Then I'd take him to 7-on-7s down in Florida, Atlanta, places like that. "As an eighth grader, he'd go out and compete with guys that were supposed to be the best of the best. I felt he had something special going at that time. He had started growing, and he was probably like 5-foot-10 or 5-11." Though Deon was a good Michigan player in his own right, helping lead the Wolverines to three Big Ten titles in 1990, '91 and '92, he had a feeling his son might be even better. "When we were both younger, we used to do a lot of football stuff," he said. "I held him out of contact football for a while. It was more skill development. "It was just great for me and the whole family to watch him out there on the field fulfilling some of his goals and his dreams and some things he talked about doing. "We sit back and enjoy it, and some- times I say, 'Wow. That's our son out there doing that!' But then I'll think, 'Why not him?' He's worked hard and done everything right up to this point." The elder Johnson has taken great pride in watching his son eclipse his accom- plishments, just as his former teammate, Hutchinson, did when his son, Aidan, took his No. 97 to greater heights. Though the sons' careers didn't overlap, the two dads crossed paths a few times when one legacy passed the torch to another. Will was a Michigan pledge in 2021 when Aidan led the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title since 2004. His father admitted that before that year, even as much as his son loved the Wolverines, some concern might have crept in as to whether U-M was the place for him. "There were some doubts," Deon John- son disclosed. "There were schools that could tell better stories at the time. They were doing a lot better than we were then. "He wanted to help make a change and be an immediate factor, and Michigan had the best opportunity for that." There's none of the negativity any- more. In two years, his son's class hasn't lost a regular-season game, he noted. The only setback was an upset loss to TCU in the 2023 playoff, followed by 15 straight wins last fall and the program's first na- tional title since 1997 and first outright since 1948. Knowing his boy's class set the table and watching his former teammate's son seal the deal was a source of pride for Chris Hutchinson. "If you want someone to break your own records and better your success, it might as well be someone with your own DNA," Hutchinson said. "Every dad's dream is to see his kid break your records and stake claim to their own number. I al- ways told Aidan that No. 97 is mine until you break some of those records." Hutchinson enjoys seeing the sons of former Michigan players compete for the Wolverines. "It's fun seeing these dads I played with have kids who are putting on the uniform," he said. "It's a very cool way to stay attached to some of these kids and college football in general. We have a group of 50-year-old guys complaining and moaning about the state of the game. "But this is one of the things that brings you into college football — having names you're familiar with on the team. That makes college football very differ- ent and unique from the NFL. Having kids following in their dads' footsteps is a great experience." Hungry For More And most of them are all about it, thanks to their dads. While Will Johnson grew up a Michigan fan, his father admit- ted there was some consternation when it came time to pick his school. The Wolverines were coming off a 2-4, COVID-shortened season in which the program appeared to be in disarray, and Jim Harbaugh brought Johnson to Ann Ar- bor as a five-star recruit, the No. 16 overall player and No. 2 cornerback nationally, and the top player in Michigan, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. PHOTO BY DOMINICK SOKOTOFF "People don't realize that the dude works like he's just trying to earn a spot on the bus every single day." DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH AND DEFENSIVE PASS GAME COORDINATOR LAMAR MORGAN