The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? making a mistake," Gant recalled. "Once you get past that, you're fine. As a player, I never worried about the fans in the stands; I worried about my assignment. It took me a few more games to react instead of think, and my whole freshman year was like that." The coaches weren't pleased when Gant decided to go back to Fremont the following summer rather than work out in Ann Arbor. There were two things working for him, though, even when he came back to find him- self nowhere on the two-deep. For one, a taste of Big Ten football had made him hungry to compete at a much higher level, and he lived in the weight room for much of the summer. He also had a motivator and workout partner in former U-M and Fremont star Rob Lytle, then an NFL standout with the Denver Broncos. Lytle's influence proved instrumen- tal both during the recruiting process and throughout Gant's years at Michi- gan. The former fullback offered guid- ance and friendship but never steered Gant during the former, and he was always there when his protégé needed a friend. It was fitting that Gant presented a moving speech at Lytle's funeral service a year ago when Lytle passed away suddenly of a heart attack. Gant credited Lytle with making him men- tally tough enough to play football at Michigan, noting Schembechler always measured his toughness by Lytle's. "We'd hit the track, and he'd spend his time working on my mental tough- ness," he said. "We played catch, ran The Tony Gant File Michigan Accomplishments: Five-year letterman, 1982-86 … AP/UPI honorable mention All-Big Ten, 1985 and '86 … Notched 150 career tackles (96 solo), three interceptions, 11 pass breakups and three fumble recoveries in four-plus years … Suffered a broken leg that cost him most of the 1984 sea- son … Returned to start every game in 1985, leading a team that led the nation in scoring defense … Started every game again in 1986 in helping lead the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl … Earned the Frederick Matthaei Award in 1984 as the team's top junior-to-be in accomplishments on and off the field. Michigan Memory: Michigan capped the 1985 season with a 27-23 win over Nebraska in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl. It didn't come easy, Gant recalled. "Oh my God, those guys were huge," Gant recalled. "Mind you, we gave up like three touchdowns during the regular season, and we could have prevented all three, so we were confident, but upset we didn't win the Big Ten." Fullback Tom Rathman let them know they were in for a fight early. "I don't know if it was the first or second play, but that's when we met Mr. Rathman," Gant said with a laugh. "Me and [defensive back] Ivan Hicks both hit him, and took us both back. They had the largest offensive line I'd seen in my life, too." Current Occupation: Minority owner of TMI MRI with direct responsibilities of director of sales and operations in the Toledo, Ohio, area. Education: Gant graduated with his liberal arts degree in 1986. Family: Gant and his wife of one year, Alisha, reside in Maumee, Ohio. Son Allen will be a freshman free safety at Michigan next year. DECEMBER 2011 THE WOLVERINE 93 this day, I can't move my toes," he noted, even after six surgeries — he was the free safety on a 1985 defense that would go down as one of U-M's all-time best. "We had such a great resolve. We heard it all summer, Michigan's not going to be good, not going to be ranked in the top 20, another rebuild- ing year for Michigan," he said. "We got together as seniors and worked out together, ate together, ran the golf course together. "Everything was geared towards Gant is now a minority owner of TMI MRI, working as director of sales and operations in the Toledo, Ohio, area. PHOTO COURTESY TONY GANT four days a week. I attribute so much to Rob." It was evident how much during fall camp of his sophomore year. Gant, 10 pounds heavier and in the best shape of his life, quickly made his way up the depth chart. Schembechler wasn't always quick with the praise, but when he saw Gant in the hallways or in the locker room, he let him know it with, 'That's not the Tony Gant I knew as a freshman,' or, 'That's not the Tony Gant I knew last spring." Gant started every game as a sopho- more in 1983, helping lead the Wol- verines to a 9-3 finish and Sugar Bowl appearance. A traumatic leg injury sidelined him for much of the 1984 season, one in which U-M struggled to 6-6 when several of his teammates joined him on the injured list. Though he'd lost a half step due to nerve damage in his foot — "To winning the Big Ten and national titles and proving everyone wrong. We had no superstars, but we had that team concept and, hey, we had something to prove." And a nasty attitude that helped lead them to a 10-1-1 record and No. 2 national finish, he added. Gant lettered for five years, leaving with two Big Ten championship rings. Though failed physicals prevented a shot at an NFL career, he left U-M plenty prepared for the real world. He started a career in sales with IBM, worked with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for another eight among his other endeavors and is now minor- ity owner of TMI MRI, working as director of sales and operations in the Toledo, Ohio, area. Gant has continued to follow the Wolverines and will have an even more vested interest next year when his son, Allen, joins the team as a freshman safety. "That," he said, "was a dream come true." Just as it was for his own father 30 years ago. ❑