The Wolverine

August 2017

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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AUGUST 2017 THE WOLVERINE 63   WHERE ARE THEY NOW? to officially lead them as captain. Shortly after the vote, Schembechler pulled him into his office. A few of Lott's teammates had gotten in trou- ble, and the coach wanted to know what Lott planned to do about it. "We handled that," Lott recalled with a laugh. "No sooner had I been elected captain, that very night Bo pulled me into his office. I was like, 'Oh my God. Wow!' He just said, 'This is what leadership is about, son.'" On the field, Lott had earned the same amount of respect. By his fifth year, few quarterbacks even tried to throw his way anymore, having learned No. 44 was usually up to task. He and the 1983 Wolverines beat Ohio State 24-21 in his last shot at the home state Buckeyes to earn a trip to the Sugar Bowl. U-M's defense held Au- burn, led by elite running back Bo Jackson, in check, but the offense only managed one score in a 9-7 loss. Lott would later further his profes- sional career in Jacksonville, via the now-defunct USFL, and play against some of the best professional backs who lived, but he never encountered anyone like Jackson. "He was probably the best run- ning back I ever played against," he said. "I went against Herschel Walker, Mike Rozier, a lot of good backs, but Bo Jackson was one of the best backs pound for pound … speed, rugged- ness, the agility. That guy right there was the real deal." Lott, a sure tackler, was usually very good in run support, but Jackson was a different animal. "I came up on him and I had him. I was the wide-side corner, so it's don't let the ball outside," he recalled. "I can still see it. I came up on him not going to let him outside, broke down and delivered my best blow to that dude. Next thing I know I'm around his ankles, and this dude's still running. "I tackled Herschel Walker and the other backs. They went down. This guy, if he had been able to keep healthy for his career, would have been one of the best of all time." Like many of Schembechler's play- ers, Lott was inspired to do more with his life after football. He left the USFL after two years and pursued advanced degrees, graduating from the University of Kentucky's social work program with a master 's and then Jacksonville Theological Semi- nary, where he received his doctor- ate of philosophy in clinical Christian counseling. He has become a leader in his field, a professional counselor and administrator for more than 20 years. He still leans on the lessons he learned from Schembechler over three decades ago. "Bo said, 'I can promise you two things when you leave. I promise you you'll have a degree in hand and that you'll be a man," Lott recalled. "I look back at all the shady things going on in recruiting even then … I had offers for cars, I had an offer for a house. Thank God for my mom, who was morally and spiritually devoted. She kept us on the right track. "It was a tough decision. It came down to Michigan, Ohio State, NC State, Penn State, West Virginia and Clemson. It went right up to the very night. I remember on my knees just crying … my mom came in, didn't say anything but put a hand on me and just rubbed me on shoulder while on my knees, said all right. When I woke up I said, 'I think I know what I want to do.'" He couldn't have mapped it out better, he said. "Those were such good teams," Lott said. "Guys played well to- gether, were really dedicated and we had good leadership. We had guys that actually loved each other, and when you see them again it's like you haven't missed a beat. You're still in that zone." One he said he'd cherish for the rest of his life. ❏ Michigan Accomplishments: Four-year letterman (1980-83) and two-year starter (1982-83) … Two-time Big Ten champion (1980 and '83) … Team captain (1983) … Recorded 66 career tackles, including 46 solo stops … Picked off a pair of passes in both 1982 and 1983 despite rarely being thrown at. Professional Accomplishments: Lott spent two seasons with the United States Football League's Jack- sonville franchise. Michigan Memory: Michigan lead Michigan State 27-23 late in the fourth quarter in 1980 when redshirt fresh- man Lott was called upon to replace injured corner Brian Carpenter. He essentially saved the season for the seniors. " They were driving on us … the crowd was crazy, all hyped. I was just a young guy," Lott recalled. "I was like, 'Oh [crap].' This is the fourth quarter. They're driving and you've got a min- ute or two on the clock." Michigan coaches called for man cov- erage, and the Spartans tested him on fourth down. "I'll never forget it," he said. "I was on that wide side and it was like slow motion. It was man to man so you take the inside away. I'm backing down, gliding … I see the receiver begin to break his route off and I see the quarterback taking a three-step drop and throwing an out route. I broke on that ball and remember diving and knocking it down, [the ball] fell to the ground. "Everything stopped. Everybody was picking me up off the ground, and it was like suspended animation." Education: B.S. in education, 1983. Lott earned a master's degree from Ken- tucky and a doctorate of philosophy in clinical Christian counseling from Jack- sonville Theological Seminary. Current Occupation: Dr. John Lott III is a licensed clinical social worker. He operates in private practice near Orlando, Fla. Family: Lott and his wife, Shaleena, reside in Central Florida with their three young children. The John Lott File L o t t w a s a t w o - y e a r s t a r t e r f o r t h e Wolverines, and finished his career with 66 tackles and four interceptions. PHOTO COURTESY BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY

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