Product Description

In What It Means to Be a Wolverine, many of Michigan's greatest players and coaches recall with vigor, honesty, and emotion the years they spent at the University of Michigan, a time in which they contributed to one of college football's most glorious traditions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #409379 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 362 pages

From the Publisher
". . . how can anyone come close to the tradition in Ann Arbor where games have been played since 1879? "More victories than any school anywhere in the country . . . around 111,000 fans for each game at the Big House . . . the most distinct helmet in the country . . . the greatest fight song in the history of college sports . . . with Ohio State, the most celebrated rivalry in all of sports . . . New Year's Day bowl games . . . Big Ten championships . . . the tunnel . . . the Little Brown Jug . . . the marching band . . . the tailgate parties. ". . . The history is alive and endless. But the essence of tradition transcends victories, statistics, events, and all the other celebrated features that comprise college football. "The essence of tradition lies in the hearts of the people who protect and perpetuate that storied history that was handed down to them. And they carefully pass that legacy down to generations yet to come." —From the Foreword by Bo Schembechler

From the Inside Flap
Michigan football is many things. It's 107,000 fans crowding into hallowed Michigan Stadium. It's the famed winged helmet. It's Fielding Yost, Fritz Crisler, Tom Harmon, Gerald Ford, Bennie Oosterbaan, Rick Leach, and Bo Schembechler. It's the rousing strains of "Hail to the Victors." It's the sublimity of a brisk, sun-splashed autumn Saturday in Ann Arbor. But most of all it's the utter dependability of an institution that delivers success as regularly as the leaves change colors in southeastern Michigan. Regardless of the decade, the coach, the players, changes to the rules, or social and political upheaval, the University of Michigan Wolverines win on the gridiron—40 conference titles, 34 bowl game wins, 11 national championships, and not one coach in its history with a losing record. What It Means to Be a Wolverine brings together many of the greatest and most significant men who have donned the maize and blue to share their memories of playing and coaching at the University of Michigan. Many schools tout their football tradition, but very few possess a history as rich and varied as Michigan's. The compelling and heartfelt stories and reminiscences of the men included in this book illustrate that vividly. What It Means to Be a Wolverine includes Gerald Ford, who captained Michigan to two national championships in the early thirties and later became president; Bump Elliot, who played in a Rose Bowl for UM and coached the Wolverines to one as well; Ron Kramer, who starred at Michigan and then went on to write a best-selling book about his time with the Green Bay Packers; Jim Brandstatter, who played on Bo Schembechler's first team, went to the Rose Bowl, and is now the radio voice of the Wolverines; Rick Leach, a four-year starter at quarterback who led Michigan to three Rose Bowls and an Orange Bowl; Lloyd Carr, who coached UM to a national championship in 1997; and the incomparable Bo Schembechler, who over two decades returned Michigan to its exalted status in college football. What It Means to Be a Wolverine is unlike any book ever published about Michigan football. It gets at the essence of what it means to be a "Michigan Man," what it means to play or coach at a school with a 112-year winning tradition, and what it means to be affiliated with the best college football has to offer.

About the Author
Kevin Allen, a sportswriter for 30 years, has authored numerous sports books. His works include Why Is the Stanley Cup in Mario Lemieux's Swimming Pool? and The People's Champion, the story of Detroit Tigers great Willie Horton's rise from poverty to become a sports icon in the Motor City. Allen provides commentary for WDFN radio in Detroit. He's currently president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. He lives just outside Ann Arbor with his soccer coach/wife, Terri, and their three children, Erin, Kelsey, and Shane.

A University of Michigan graduate, Art Regner was born in Detroit and raised in Livonia, Michigan. One of Detroit's best-loved sports radio personalities, he currently cohosts The Big Show on AM 1270. He is the station's "hockey guru" and host of the Red Wings pregame, intermission, and postgame shows. In 2000 Regner was named Detroit's Top TV and Radio Personality of the Year by The Ann Arbor News.

Nate Brown graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in mass communication in 2004. Serving as the sports editor of ISU's daily newspaper, he was nominated for several Illinois College Press Association awards. He currently resides with his newlywed wife, Sabrina, in Illinois.

Customer Reviews

A must for a fan of the Maize and Blue
From the inspirational foreward by Bo all the way through the National Championship team of 1997, this book truly captures the essence of Michigan Football. It shows how being a "Michigan Man" goes well beyond the gridiron and is with you for the rest of your life. Definitely a must-read! GO BLUE!!!

Outstanding read for any fan of Michigan or college football in general
I recently purchased this book for my father and have no regrets. It's a terrific read, offering fans a rare chance to hear their Michigan football heroes tell their stories. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

What it Means to Be a Wolverine
It you ever admired Ohio States rivals this would be a great book for you. It is spiced up with rosters from the four magicians to the famous wide receiver Braylon Edwards. I enjoyed this book because I like college football and its history. The are many more reasons I like this book, but I'm only going to list three. I like Michigan football and its players. I enjoyed all the accomplishments of the Michigan alumni. For the final suggestion I thought this would be a great book for the Michigan football players from the past and present. You could also see if you were one of Michigan's best athletes. By reading this popular piece of writing you could remember how exciting your years in college were.