The Wolverine

May 2016 Issue

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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  WHERE ARE THEY NOW? and tight end. Michigan Memory: Michigan rallied from a 28-7 deficit in the fourth quarter to win at Minnesota, 38-35, in the greatest comeback in U-M history in 2003, a night game Pearson won't forget. "I just remember coming off the field after scoring a touchdown and you'd see something happen going the other way that would just sort of deflate you," he said. "But all of us were just like, 'Let's go back out there and score again' … we went out and worked as hard as we could, and eventually things started going our way. "The defense made huge plays, and the offense just kept going out and scored every time. It was a little surreal winning that one at the end. I didn't think it was going to happen." Quarterback John Navarre made it happen, Pearson said, calling his signal- caller one of the more unappreciated players in Michigan history. "John and I were really close, particularly being a center to him. Years later you look back and people don't realize how good they had it with John," he said. "He had a phenomenal arm, first of all, and great pocket presence. He threw the deep ball about as well as anybody. "But just as a leader — he was a man of the people, if you will. He would always bring guys along with him and got along with everybody else. He demanded every- body work hard. I remember sitting with him, watching film after training table from 8 to 10 through the week. Eventually the rest of the offensive line would join, then the running backs started joining. "That was a lot of the key to our success. Everybody bought into, 'Man, there's more we can do, we can work harder than every- body else, be smarter than everybody.' That all that started with John." Current Occupation: Senior Vice President of Affordable Development for The Related Group, owned by Michigan alum and booster Stephen Ross. Pear- son is in charge of all acquisitions of affordable housing throughout the coun- try for a firm that buys, rehabs and preserves multi-family affordable housing. Family: Pearson and his wife, Caitlin — a former Michigan student who now owns Malt and Mold, a beer and cheese shop — reside in New York City with their daughter, Elle (2), and they have another baby due in July. Pearson and his wife, Caitlin — who he met at Michigan — have a 2-year-old daughter, Elle, and are expecting their second child in July. PHOTO COURTESY DAVID PEARSON

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