The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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truly an inspiration and something I will definitely carry with me as I go forward from here." Defensive lineman Alex Mitropoulos-Rundus Hoke on Mitropoulos-Rundus: "He never played football at Ann Arbor Pioneer [High School]. He was a rugby player. I didn't know that until late in his ca- reer. I'm telling you he gave everything he could to the guys on that team. He will graduate this December with a degree in cellular and molecular biology. It was a pleasure for us to have him on Team 135." Mitropoulos-Rundus: "I realized that being a Michigan football player is a public position and to represent that well was important to me. I want to thank Coach Hoke for accepting me on the team as one of your own. Thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime. "Coach [Mark] Smith, thanks for being such a genuine coach, and I mean that. You took personal time to spend with me and everyone, no matter what their rank on the team was. That's the important side of college coaching, and I can't think you enough for that. Getting on the field as part of this great tradition is far beyond anything I could have fathomed when I enrolled at the University of Michigan." Linebacker Jake Ryan Hoke on Ryan: "When I was at San Diego State, Brian Sipe, who coached quarterbacks, got this DVD and it was from St. Ignatius High School [in Cleveland]. It was Jake … we looked at it and we didn't think he was good enough. At the time he only had one offer, Ball State. I didn't make a very good evaluation on that. But he's been a hell of a football player here at Michigan." Ryan: "Thanks to [former coach] Rich Rodriguez for giving me the oppor- tunity and allowing me to play at the greatest university in the world, and [recruiting coach] Chris Singletary for helping me through the last five years and playing rock, paper, scissors with me every day. "Thanks to Brady Hoke for being one of the best human beings I've ever been around in my life. Thanks for everything you taught me the last four years and taking me under your wing when things got tough. You have taught me so much more than football. You've made a huge impact on my life. And yes, I know you did not recruit me. "Coach [Greg] Mattison, I've referred to you as my second father some- times … you've been great to me, talked about the game, molded me into the man I am today and taught me life lessons. Your impact has been incredible, and it's been an amazing four years being coached by you." Quarterback Alex Swieca Hoke on Swieca: "Alex walked on here and did a tremendous job being one