The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/629217
"I can't tell if Jim Harbaugh is crazy, genius or perhaps a bit of both." O rlando Sentinel columnist Matt Murschel wasn't alone in questioning the Michigan head coach's recruiting methods after the Jan. 15 weekend. Harbaugh made national headlines (as he always seems to) when he visited Rockford (Mich.) High's elite prep kicker, Quinn Nordin, at 12:01 a.m. Friday, the first day of the January live recruiting period, and told him he'd stay at his house that night — on the floor in his room, if he had to — to earn his commitment. When Nordin, a soft Penn State pledge, told him, 'Coach, I've got Nittany Lions stuff all over my walls!' Harbaugh essentially told him it was the perfect opportunity to help him take it all down. Days later, while wearing his sig- nature khakis and blue sweatshirt, Harbaugh played catch in the street with the younger brother of Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola four-star cornerback David Long during a visit — and then proceeded to climb a tree with the boy while Long photo- graphed and tweeted the moment. Yes, Harbaugh is crazy … crazy like a fox in knowing that if he's go- ing to play within the rules — some- thing both he and Michigan demand — he's got to think outside the box. "Most high school players love the attention heaped upon them from the thousands of recruiting flyers INSIDE MICHIGAN CHRIS BALAS Pulling Out All The Stops Jim Harbaugh thinks outside the box when it comes to recruiting, from staying overnight at Rockford (Mich.) High kicker Quinn Nordin's house to playing catch with the younger brother of Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola four-star cornerback recruit David Long during a visit. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN