The Wolverine

he name "David Mealer" ap- peared on Michigan's ticket list for the highly antici- pated 2012 opener against Alabama at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The name also made the list for the Wolverines' breakthrough vic- tory against Ohio State last fall. Fifth-year senior center Elliott Mealer intentionally, thoughtfully, and lovingly put it there. And al- though he knew his father wasn't going to appear at the will call win- dows and claim a seat, reserving a spot just felt right. T BY JOHN BORTON CENTERED ON STRENGTH Offensive Lineman Elliott Mealer Is Thriving In His Final Year At Michigan "I don't think I've ever told any- body that — in my family or any- body," Mealer said. "For the Ohio game last year, I did it. For the Ala- bama game … just special games, I've put my dad down. It just makes me feel good, knowing there is a ticket waiting for him." The Wauseon native has come so so he's like the captain of the whole offensive line now. We all look up to him so much." Mealer still looks to his dad, who even now continues providing strong game-day advice. far from that unfathomably tragic Christmas Eve in 2007, when his fam- ily's life changed forever where State Route 2 meets County Road 19 in Fulton County, Ohio. That's where a 90-year-old local man ran a stop sign and struck the Mealers' SUV. Elliott's dad — 50-year-old Da- vid Mealer — and girlfriend, Hollis Richer, were killed in the accident. Brother Brock Mealer was paralyzed, becoming a part of the Michigan football family to which his younger brother had committed. Brock eventu- ally provided one of the most electri- fying moments in Michigan Stadium history — walking out to touch the M-Club banner at midfield, culminat- ing an excruciatingly long road back, after doctors gave him a one percent chance of ever walking again. Elliott Mealer tore up his shoulder attempting to tip the SUV upright 28 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2012 "I think about him often," Mealer acknowledged. "I think about all the things he used to say to me. He used to coach me up before I'd leave for my game, and do it in a joking way, to kind of loosen me up. At the same time, he'd coach me up. "I'd try to remember his attitude, going into games — have fun, and when you go out there, it's about you being with your teammates and hav- ing a good time. That was something he always tried to relay to me. That's something I still think about before games. It calms me down, and makes me feel good." Mealer requires calmness more than ever these days. He's the trig- german for Michigan's offensive line, the one who makes the line calls and is responsible for getting the ball into Denard Robinson's hands. Mealer started at center in each of Michigan's first four games this season, giving him 41 career appearances overall. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN and free loved ones that night. He entered Michigan with a torn rotator cuff, and has been battling to make an impact ever since. So when he strode out onto the field at Cowboys Stadium as Michi- gan's starting center, with a spot reserved for his dad, more than a few people understood how much it meant. "It's a great feeling," noted Michael Schofield, his linemate at right tackle. "His story, and all the things that happened to him, it's a great story for him to overcome that and become a starter at Michigan. He's the center,

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