The Wolverine

September 2016

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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SEPTEMBER 2016 THE WOLVERINE 27 one, was decked out head to toe at the event, including a backpack with the Jumpman logo. Harbaugh said he was open to the idea of Jumpman khakis and — per- haps — even an alternate uniform. "Yeah, why not?" he said of the pants. "Definitely. That would be wonderful. It would actually be tak- ing it up another notch. "I'll definitely keep an open mind on [the alternate uniform]. They hit it out of the park here, and every- thing they've done up to this point has been hitting it out of the park and knocking our socks off. We're not go- ing to change the uniform design at this time, but we stand open to their ideas because some people just think of things better than other people do. "They obviously do a tremendous job at the highest level; so sure, I'll keep an open mind. I'd be dumb not to." His conversation with Jordan, meanwhile, was memorable. "The one thing he told me that was very profound, he said, 'You know what Nike means to Oregon, what Or- egon means to Nike? Michigan will mean that to Jordan,'" Harbaugh re- called. "That, I thought, was powerful. "This is first-class all the way, with a big exclamation mark on it. Today is another one of those days. You walk in and your socks are knocked off. You know it when you see it. This is great. Everybody knows something great when you see it. That's been my impression." Michigan will host Jordan him- self when the Wolverines open with Hawai'i Sept. 3 at Michigan Stadium. The former Chicago Bulls star will be the honorary captain. "To think about Michael Jordan sharing a sideline with us, think about being the only team — the University of Michigan — that is Jordan, to have that iconic logo sharing the uniform … we are very, very proud of that," Har- baugh said. "I'm proud. We're proud." And ready to meet the high expec- tations that come with being associ- ated with one of the all-time greats. ❏ Michigan senior running back De'Veon Smith: "I'm happy about it. I get to meet Michael Jordan the first game. It's on my bucket list. It's kind of a humbling experience to meet such a great athlete, and to be wear- ing that logo and be the first [foot- ball] team. "But the only thing is, we can't get lost in the logo. We've got to focus on exactly what our goals are and what we need to do." Pensacola (Fla.) Washington OT Alex Leatherwood, Rivals.com's No. 51 prep senior nationally and an Alabama commitment: "Freaking awesome. Michigan has too much sauce right now." Marcus Hartman, staff writer for The Dayton Daily News: "Ohio State's 100 percent inevitable response to Michigan aligning its football pro- gram with the Jordan brand 'Jump- man' has arrived [with the unveiling of new LeBron James Nike Gear]. It took less than a week. "The Buckeyes' relationship with LeBron James (an Ohio native and former all-state football player) is nothing new, but this is clearly an effort to return fire after their rival made a big splash last week with the unveiling of its new Nike ap- parel, including new football jerseys with Jordan's famous logo on the chest where many teams have worn the Nike "Swoosh" for decades." Michigan senior DE Taco Charlton: "I've been wearing Nikes since I was a kid. When I was a baby, my mom had me wearing Jordans. I love the look of it. The Jordan icon is not just in football … he's a mogul, and any- body in the world knows what this brand is. " To have this brand paired with Michigan, a global brand and icon in itself, is a perfect fit." — Chris Balas What They're Saying: Michigan And Jumpman There are not many noticeable changes between Michigan's 2015 uniforms and what they will wear this fall, but many players and recruits are excited about the iconic Jumpman logo being on them. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN Jim Harbaugh made it clear to interim director of athletics Jim Hackett he wanted to switch back to Nike from adidas just two days after taking the head coaching job. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN

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