The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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12 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS 2 Of Pro Football Focus' top 10 NFL players in 2016 were former Wolverines — No. 1 Tom Brady and No. 9 Brandon Graham, the defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles who graded out at 93.3 on the season and finished second in the league with 83 total pressures. Alabama was the only other school with two in the top 10 (Nos. 6 and 8), while former U-M left tackle Taylor Lewan checked in at No. 64 on the list that ranked the top 101 players in the NFL. 3 Of Michigan's athletic facilities were ranked among Sta- dium Journey's top 100 stadium experiences of 2016 (which included both college and professional venues) — No. 16 MICHIGAN STADIUM (the top-ranked college football venue), No. 68 Yost Ice Arena and No. 73 Crisler Center. 7 Former U-M players competed in the Senior Bowl Jan. 28, the country's top college football all-star game. It was the most ever by any one team in the game. The Wolverines were represented by cornerback Jourdan Lewis, linebacker Ben Gedeon, running back De'Veon Smith (who earned his spot by impressing at the East-West Shrine Game), offensive line- man Kyle Kalis, wideout Amara Darboh, and defensive line- men Chris Wormley and Ryan Glasgow. Gedeon had the most notable performance with nine tackles and a forced fumble. 16, 17, 33 Were where Tom Brady ranked in ESPN.com's ranking of the first 50 Super Bowl MVP performances before this year's Super Bowl. His highest-ranked showing was the Super Bowl XXXVIII win over the Carolina Panthers, followed by the triumph over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX and the victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, respectively. His latest comeback could contend to crack the top five and gives Brady alone more Super Bowl MVP honors (four) than any other col- lege football program ever — Michigan now has five; the Green Bay Packers' Desmond Howard in Super Bowl XXXI is the other. 21 Is where Michigan's women's basketball team was ranked in the Feb. 6 Associated Press poll, the school's first such ap- pearance since Jan. 21, 2013. The Wolverines, who moved up to No. 20 in the Feb. 13 poll, started 21-5 (10-2 in Big Ten play and 13-0 overall at home) en route to becoming the fastest squad in program history to reach 20 victories and tying the school record for regular-season wins (21, first set in 1999-2000). 22 Is where defensive tackle Maurice Hurst ranks among Pro Football Focus' top 25 best returning players in college foot- ball. "There was talent all over the Michigan defensive line the last two years, and Hurst was right near the top as the most disruptive," the website wrote. "His 86.2 overall grade ranked 15th in the nation in 2016, including an 85.1 pass- rush grade that ranked 16th. Hurst's run-stop percentage of 11.6 percent ranked 11th among defensive tackles, and he'll be counted on to take on a bigger workload in 2017." 30 Recruits that Michigan signed in this year's class, which was the most of any Power Five school (Memphis was the only other Football Bowl Subdivision school to sign that many, excluding Army and Navy because they don't give out athletic scholarships). That also marked the most signed by the Wolverines in the Rivals era, which dates back to 2002. 52 Michigan alumni have played in the Super Bowl since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, which ties the Wolverines for the fourth-most ever with Nebraska, according to an NFL.com study. The two Big Ten schools trail only co-leaders Tennes- see and Miami (Fla.), which each boast 61, and USC (59) after this year's Patriots victory (players who were on the roster but not active did not count and each player counted only once, no matter how many appearances they made). Brady and defensive lineman Alan Branch won rings this year. By The NUMBERS PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN