The Wolverine

Falk worked with countless play- ers who flashed five-star talent dur- ing his 40 years at Michigan. But Jim Harbaugh possessed a little some- thing extra. It's the kind of talent im- possible to coach into a player and just as tough to truly explain. "The first thing Jim will tell you is how much he learned from Bo," Falk said. Falk is thrilled with the selection of Jim Harbaugh as the new Michi- gan head coach. Just as Harbaugh correctly guaranteed a victory over Ohio State in 1986, Falk guarantees a Michigan Big Ten championship in the not-too-distant future. "It may not be the first year, but his experi- ence and relentlessness will make it happen soon," Falk said. "That's the way Jimmy attacks everything — playing, coaching, or even watching film from a game. Brother John is the kind of coach that prepares himself totally to give everything for victory. Jim gets himself prepared and then goes out and tells the opponent that he is going to win. And he usually does." In 1984 Jimmy broke his arm against Michigan State in the fifth game of the season. After his arm was placed in a cast, he began hang- ing around the equipment room more often. "Now that I can't play, you're the only guy that will talk to me any- more," he joked with Falk. And the friendship between the two grew and grew. He bounced back from injury and was picked as an All-American before getting drafted by the Bears. "There are a lot of similarities between Bo and Jimmy," Falk observed. "They share a certain brand of competitiveness and determination. They never merely walk into a room…they explode into it. Both have a certain kind of pres- ence you just can't simply teach." ❏ This excerpt from Forty Years In The Big House: Michigan Tales From My Four Decades As A Wolverine by Jon Falk with Dan Ewald has been printed with the permission of Triumph Books (www.TriumphBooks.com). Jon Falk strode the Michigan football sidelines for 40 years, spanning five coaches, beginning with Bo Schembechler. He saw it all unfold in Michigan Stadium — the ecstasy, the heartbreak and all the weekly drama of autumn. Falk retired in 2013, and he's doing what he does best beyond the equipment realm — telling stories. His new book, Forty Years In The Big House: Michigan Tales From My Four Decades As A Wolverine, is available for the start of the foot- ball season. Falk shares plenty from his days in the locker room in the book, written with Dan Ewald, and he sat down with The Wolverine to provide a sample and answer questions. Sitting Down With Former Michigan Equipment Manager Jon Falk

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