The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526802
8 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2024 G reg Harden's unexpected passing hit Michigan's gal- axy of sports stars and lesser- knowns like a blind-side blitzer. His warmth, calm, listening ear and personal touch endeared him to them for life, and his death caused their deepest emotions to well up. Fro m 1 9 8 6 -2 0 2 0, H a rd e n served as counseling consult to the Wolverines. He wound up an associate athletic director and di- rector of athletic counseling for Michigan athletics. At the heart of it, he represented a sympathetic ear, a trusted friend and a brilliant trail guide through some tough passages. When Tom Brady stood ready to bolt from Ann Arbor — before he'd even started a game at Michigan or become the owner of seven Super Bowl championships and the title as greatest quarterback to ever live — Harden was there. "He meant the world to me, and I could never have had the success I had without the time, energy, love and sup- port he had given me," Brady assured. "He will be truly missed." Last year's national champion quar- terback J.J. McCarthy found himself so moved as to speak directly to Harden in his statement. "You gave me the courage and belief as we fought hand and hand against the demons that I've spent my entire life fighting," McCarthy noted. "You have inspired me by your ability to uncondi- tionally love everyone and everything. No matter how big or small, how sig- nificant or insignificant. You inspired me to seek the truth about who I really am, why I am the way I am, and lifting the veil of my limitless potential. Show- ing me what true freedom feels like as you assisted me in my escape from the cage within my mind. "But, most importantly, you told me the things that my ego did not want to hear. Always guiding me to the places within myself that I did not want to confront. Your timeless wisdom, om- nipresent sense of humor, and genuine authenticity left lasting impressions on so many hearts that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. Especially mine. I am not the person I am today without you, G. Thank you, for every- thing. Love you man." Tribute after loving tribute poured in, all of them incredibly heartfelt. From our own experience, a hand on the shoulder and that brilliant Greg Harden smile meant it was going to be a good day. He'd go out of his way to talk about something very specific from these pages that made him laugh or resonated with him. You knew he'd read it, and his personal touch stood unmatched in 34 years of covering Michigan athletics. And oh, how he'd listen, and what he'd quietly and calmly say to Michi- gan's quarterbacks and coach this fall. The Wolverines might be hitting a tough stretch, and Harden met those patches with perfect counsel. He'd no doubt tell the new boss, Sherrone Moore, to stay the course, while acting as the perfect sounding board. He'd challenge and bol- ster seventh-year grad QB Jack Tuttle, new starting quarterback junior Alex Orji, and senior Davis Warren, who got pulled from the Arkansas State game after a third interception. Harden would no doubt remind Warren he's overcome bigger ob- stacles in his life — like leukemia. Warren's father, Jeff, recalled Davis' first play back in a game, following a withering, months- long slog through the chemo- therapy that both devastated and healed his body. "The first play he was in was a pass play," Jeff Warren said of the early-October prep contest. "There was a free rusher that came in off the right end and just completely hammered him. He knocked him down, but he'd gotten rid of the ball, and it was a completion. He then threw two absolute strikes — a post pattern and a crossing pattern. It just did a lot for him, given where he'd come from in March." Whatever fears Davis' mother, Terri, might have experienced about that mo- ment were set aside, knowing her son pushed through it all, in part to be able to return to the football field. "Football got him through this," she explained. "He had his football in his room. He was looking forward to doing this through the whole thing. That was his goal: 'I'm going to play football this fall.'" Harden's heart for overcoming ob- stacles would have fit this crew per- fectly. Daunting schedule, quarterback churn, fickle fans … been there, done that. We'll miss him terribly. Those who benefitted from his wisdom will stay the course and be champions in many ways. ❑ WOLVERINE WATCH ❱ JOHN BORTON Wise Words That Changed Lives Greg Harden provided support and encouragement to genera- tions of Michigan athletes. He died at age 75 on Sept. 12 after complications from surgery. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Senior writer John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @JB_Wolverine.