The Wolverine

firsthand accounts of the legendary coaches and players that made Falk's time in Ann Arbor so memorable. Chapter 11 THE HARBAUGH BOYS Not so long ago, Big Jon and his wife, Cheri, were having dinner at the Delkwood Grill, an informally chic place where good food and good stories are shared, in Marietta, Georgia. As the couple enjoyed the main course, an affable young man approached the table where Falk and Cheri sat. "I recognize your face," said the smiling young man who turned out to be the owner. "I know who you are." Falk set his memory into motion to determine who this polite young restaurateur may be. "I'm Paul Chut- ich," the courteous man said. "When I was a little boy, Jim Harbaugh and I used to run around in the Michigan football locker room. We used to try to get the gloves and wrist bands that Rick Leach used to wear in practice. We were big Rick Leach fans. Jim and I could pretty much beat you running around the locker room all the time. Mostly Jim. He was good at everything." A big smile cut across Paul's face. "I remember now," Falk said. "You guys used to scoot around faster than some of our players could run." Paul's father, Matt, owned a res- taurant in Ann Arbor called Bimbo's on the Hill. It was a popular sports establishment with its Michigan lean- ings and loyalties hanging proudly on the walls. Bo and Big Jon some- times feasted at the establishment. The Harbaugh name, of course, is legendary in Ann Arbor. Father Jack was a defensive backs coach under Bo before moving to Western Mich- igan to become that school's head coach. Son John Harbaugh wound up as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He led the Ravens to victory against the San Francisco 49ers and his younger brother in Super Bowl XLVII. It's a story line made in Hol- lywood…except no one would be- lieve it. Jim, of course, was an All-Ameri- can football quarterback at Michigan, a first-round draft pick selected by the Chicago Bears, a Pro Bowl quar- terback for the Indianapolis Colts, head coach at San Diego and Stan- ford, and now head coach and living legend at the University of Michigan. During the time the Harbaugh family came to Michigan, Falk was living alone in an apartment at the university golf course. Mama Jackie Harbaugh loved to cook, and Big Jon loved to eat with the Harbaugh boys. "I got to be real close with the family," Falk said. "Jimmy would al- ways hang around the locker room because Rick Leach was his idol. Jim was what we used to call a gym rat. He was a sports junkie, around all the time. The bigger the challenge, the more he wanted the ball." That was at every level—high school, college, and pros. Falk was fortunate to have worked with a long list of sparkling quarter- backs at Michigan who went on to play in the NFL. He refuses to rate them, but their names are unforget-

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