The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
BY JOHN BORTON J ordan Marshall faced a choice, like all of his returning teammates. Stay put amid a near wholesale change in Michigan's coaching leadership, or go see what's out there. In the end, the rising junior running back knew. When it came time for the M Club banner to be touched again, he'd be leaping as high as anyone. "The more I thought about it, I have such love for this place," Marshall said. "It's not only a commitment that I made when I was a junior in high school, but the people I've met since I've been here is something that brought me back. This place is just amazing. With this NIL stuff and the money, you can go and get money anywhere else. But if you truly rely on the people and the place where you're at … I truly love this place and didn't want to leave it." He returned with a purpose, as well. "I also came back to build something great here," Marshall stressed. "I know this place is great, and it's been great. For me, it just didn't sit right in my heart, not coming back here to fulfill that and make this place better. That's something I take seriously as a [spring/summer] captain, as a player on this team, bringing it back to this is a high culture, a highly valued place, a high performance not only in football, but how we treat each other, how we treat our families, how we treat the community. That's something I take pride in about this place — the alumni and all the connections. "I didn't want to leave this place. I want to make this place the best it can be for future generations and leave my mark on the history here." Not that he didn't have a time of paus- ing and reflecting. After all, the earth- quake that hit Schembechler Hall last December — and the rumblings that preceded it — shook many. Marshall ar- rived at Michigan in the wake of a na- tional championship. Now he and his teammates were staring down a rebuild with people whom he'd never met, and not knowing if anyone he knew and who knew him would be retained. One important piece, for Marshall, did stay on. Tony Alford, the Michigan run- ning backs coach on the previous staff, joined the incoming crew brought here New Sheriff , Same Marshall Jordan Marshall Knows He's Where He Belongs