The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
70 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CHRIS BALAS I n decades of interviewing football players, too many to count have shared the same stories about their love for the game at a young age. Former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy's dad, Jim, once recalled put- ting a football in his son's crib on the day of his birth. Other parents like former and current Wolverines Ben and Max Bredeson's talked about big brothers pounding on little brother and helping create the toughness that's made the latter, a U-M grad student, one of the best blocking fullbacks in the college game. More and more, though, some find their sports later in their prep careers. Stories of a kid who sprouted to seven-feet tall in a year and went from a handball player to a top basketball prospect (Michigan incoming fresh- man Malick Kordel), or an athlete who retired from one sport to find his niche in another (transfer kicker Beckham Sun- derland), are common. Rarely, though, do you see a kid with a soccer dream become an All- READY TO DOMINATE Offensive Lineman Giovanni El-Hadi Is Preparing To Elevate His Game In 2025 El-Hadi has played in 43 games at Michigan, including 31 on the offensive line with 16 starts. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL