The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? can't be a rebuilding year." It wasn't. Michigan went 11-2, rally- ing dramatically against Notre Dame in the first ever night game at Michigan Stadium, beating Nebraska and Ohio State, and then vanquishing Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. Van Bergen was one of the Wolver- ines' best players, leading U-M in sacks (5.5) and tackles for loss (12.5). "We knew we might have to go back to these Michigan functions and say, 'I lost to Ohio State all five years,' and, 'I never won a bowl game.' The seniors that year could not stomach the thought of ending our careers that way," Van Bergen said. "Coach Hoke led us down the right track. He let the seniors lead. He said, 'This is your team.' "Giving us ownership made us more unified. He was our coach and we lis- tened to him, but he listened to us. I don't know how to recreate what we had that season. It just snowballed in a really positive way for us." After a brief NFL career as an un- drafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers, Van Bergen connected with friend and former U-M swimmer, Adam DeJong (2007-10), in Chicago for a sales job, but it didn't satisfy him. "I wanted to live in Chicago and get away from home for a bit," he said. "It was cool, but at the end of the day, I didn't have any moral reward. It was a paycheck, but I wanted to get back to doing something I really cared about." Van Bergen reconnected with a col- lege pal, Danny Roth, and the two discussed business opportunities. Van Bergen kept returning to the idea of strength and conditioning, excited by the prospect of offering training in a setting that rivaled his experience in the weight room at Schembechler Hall. "I remember every year I was at Michigan, there was a women's foot- ball camp and we'd put the women through some of our workouts, and they loved it," Van Bergen said. "My partner and I thought there was a market for higher-intensity workouts, and if you connect it in some way to Michigan football or Michigan athlet- ics, people will be interested." Van Bergen and Roth opened Blue Lion Fitness March 30 and count over 110 members, ranging from former and aspiring Division I athletes to new moms, Average Joes and the in- between. He has hired trainers with athletic backgrounds to provide his cli- ents with greater expertise and takes tremendous pride in the growth his members have made. "We know not everyone is a Division I athlete, but your accomplishments, whether it's a personal record or doing a 20-inch box jump for the first time … everyone gets the same recognition," he said. "Division I weight rooms are intense, hyped atmospheres where if someone is doing something amazing, everyone gathers around cheering them on. "I think that's missing from gyms, and I think people want to be social. It's inspiring and motivating to see some- one else push their physical and mental limits, and it makes you go harder in your own workouts. "And I also think we have the aspect of family at our gym — we know ev-