The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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66 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2024 Q uarterback competi- tions have a way of bringing out the worst in college fan bases, even (espe- cially?) at Michigan. Our tenure here goes back to the days of Tom Brady versus Drew Henson, at which point the Henson "stans" (slang for overzealous supporters, for you veterans) were filled with vitriol for the guy who would be- come the greatest NFL quarter- back of all time. That was 25 years ago already, but it seems like yesterday a seg- ment of the fan base couldn't handle "their guy" not winning the job. The one that stands out to this day, from message board p o s te r "SmartestGuyEver- EvenSmarterThanTheCoaches" (at least that's how we remember the moniker): "How are you going to give the job to a guy with a 'weenie arm' over Drew Freakin' Hen- son?" Brady, of course, eventually won the job after former coach Lloyd Carr played both in the 1999 season. Some would argue his decision to go with Henson in the second half cost Michigan the 1999 Michigan State game, but the coach was in a tough spot deciding between two outstanding options. Sherrone Moore's position isn't ex- actly the same two and a half decades later, but there are similarities. There was no cut-and-dried option heading into fall camp like there was last season, when everyone knew it was going to be J.J. McCarthy. And whoever he chose, if it went bad early — and it has, with Davis Warren having completed 66.7 percent of his passes with many of the other 33 percent to the other team with 6 interceptions — he was going to be second-guessed. That comes with the territory. Un- fortunately, so does the criticism for the young guys under center if things don't go well. The shots some have taken at Warren for having the audacity to win the job have been embarrassing. The social me- dia vitriol directed at him has been way over the top, too, and it's not warranted — nor would it be if Orji had started and struggled. The coaches made a gamble this spring to ride with an oft-injured, sev- enth-year senior in Jack Tuttle, a former walk-on in Warren and a young man many considered a "project" coming out of high school in Orji. They are who they are, and very few, if anyone, ever expected any of them to be the starting quarterback at Michi- gan. But they're also incredible repre- sentatives of the program, unbelievable workers … and yes, have the potential to lead this team to wins with more im- provement (believe it or not, it is pos- sible). And unlike a few others who bailed in recent years when things didn't go their way, they're unbelievably loyal. We asked Warren a few years ago during the Fiesta Bowl Media Day why he stuck around to sit behind McCarthy when he could be playing some- where else. "I want to be here. I want to be at Michigan," Warren said. "Coach [Jim] Harbaugh … gave me an opportunity to come here and play, and I don't take that for granted. I really didn't have a lot of other opportunities, and I believe very strongly in being loyal to this program. "I'll get a great education, I'll learn a lot, and I know my op- portunity is going to come. … I believe very strongly in this program and being loyal to these guys." That was eye-opening. So were Orji's interviews after spring ball and this summer, af- ter which a few of us looked at each other and said, "This is a special kid." His support of War- ren after he lost the job this fall told you everything you needed to know about his character. "I committed to the University of Michigan; I didn't commit to being a starter," Orji said this summer. "I com- mitted here to support the University of Michigan, to try and give us the best chance to win, and whatever I can do to add value to the team. It's not a personal or selfish ideology when you come here, at all." There are going to be some growing pains, no matter who takes the snaps the rest of the year. Ideally, Orji will take it and run with his opportunity, but chances are they'll need to lean on both to win games this year. Whoever is back there, though, at least deserves the respect and support of the fan base for the way they've pre- pared and gone about their business. Having seen them both up close over the past several years, we can promise you — they deserve it. ❏ It's now Alex's Orji's turn as the starting quarterback, and time for all Michigan fans to give him their full support. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Chris Balas has been with The Wolverine since 1997. Contact him at cbalas@ thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @Balas _ Wolverine. INSIDE MICHIGAN ❱ CHRIS BALAS Change Happens, Support Needed