The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2024 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 73 100,000-plus home crowd on full blast when trying to call and understand sig- nals. Hinton says this year's Michigan crew stands extremely unified and ready to go. "We're a tight group this year," he said. "Last year we were as well, but this year, it's the boys. Everybody on the offense has everybody's back. I just have a good feeling. "It will be a different offense, for sure. Every year, you've got to find that feeling. Something is always changing. You've got to find your identity, find your group. It will be the same this year." In the overall picture, Hinton added, it doesn't seem that different going from Jim Harbaugh to Sherrone Moore as head coach. That's a comfort, given how things went in 2023. "It's really good," he said. "We haven't had many team meetings, where we can get a feel of the whole thing. But the climate and the culture is very similar to what it was last year and years prior. We're still held to the same standards." He knows this much. He's ready to fight for another big catch. The Rest Of The Story Meanwhile, back out on the water … After getting several photos of the mon- ster fish, Hinton explained to his folks the type it was, until interrupted by the char- ter guide. His words rendered the seafar- ing Wolverine ready to throw a flag for intent to deceive. "The guide says, 'Oh, no, it's a rock fish. You can't eat it.'" Hinton recalled. "I'm like 'What? You're wrong. I know what the fish is. It's a black grouper.' "Black grouper is one of the best-eating fish that you can catch in the gulf. And this fish is at least 30 pounds. On the market, it would have been worth hundreds of dol- lars. "I'm thinking, he's trying to scam us out of this fish. Then he says, 'I can use it for bait tomorrow.' I said, 'You are not using that fish for bait!'" The guide wasn't budging, but Hinton pushed back with enthusiasm unknown to fisher mankind. The back and forth con- tinued all the way to shore. "I'm trying to figure out a way to get the fish," Hinton said. "I wanted to mount the fish, using a guy I know back home. I needed to take the fish with me. He gave me a talk about the cost of mounting the fish. It was going back and forth for a while, and we finally got back to the dock. "I said, 'I need some of the fish at least.' And it was like his whole demeanor broke. He said, 'OK.' He brought the fish out and cut off a chunk of it, the back portion. He kept the head, the cheeks, the collar meat, the shoulder — all the good, juicy meat. I cooked it when I got back to Michigan. It was really good, but dude, I wanted that fish. "If you bring a whole fish to market, it's worth more than a fish with a chunk out of it. He wasn't trying to give us any of the meat. That fish would have been worth hundreds of dollars at the market. Twenty pounds of grouper meat? And he's saying, 'You can't eat it. It will make your stomach hurt.' I'm saying, 'No it won't!' It's at least $35 to $50 a pound! It's insane!" The young man of the sea won't give in once football season rolls around, either. To those who anticipate a significant fall- off from a national title campaign, he's ready to push back. In his final season, he yearns for more than a chunk of the big fish. "If they have something bad to say, they can be off somewhere," Hinton said, dis- missively. "I feel like we are going to exceed the expectations. If you have something bad to say, talking crazy like Michigan isn't going to do this or that, their word doesn't matter. That's the gist." ❑ All In The Bloodlines A quick look at senior offensive tackle Myles Hinton's lineage renders his athletic success no surprise. Both of his parents were highly successful athletes, his dad a dominant performer at the highest level of football. Chris Hinton Sr. earned NFL All-Pro status no fewer than eight times. He played 13 total seasons in the NFL, for the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings. He spent most of his time with the Colts, after coming out of Northwestern as the fourth overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. Meanwhile, Myles' mom, Mya Hinton, performed as a standout on Northwestern's women's basketball team. Chris Hinton Jr., Myles' older brother, opted for Ann Arbor as his college destination. He spent three seasons with the Wol- verines as a defensive lineman, going into the 2022 NFL Draft and winding up signing as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers. — John Borton "Everyone that's going to start now has been a second-string guy the previous year. Every- body gets the chance now to take what's there, to have what they feel like they deserve." HINTON ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE Christopher Hinton Jr., Myles' older brother, played defensive tackle for Michigan from 2019-2021 and is now entering his third NFL season with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing for coach Jim Harbaugh once again. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL