The Controversy Over The No. 1 Jersey at Michigan

Therefore, it would appear that these endowment funds could be allocated to another worthy athlete playing a different position on the football team other than wide receiver.

This is a smart distinction to make because a worthy recipient of the endowment may indeed play another position besides wide receiver. This may especially be true given the nuances of the spread option offense that Michigan now runs under Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has coached several 1,000+ yard wide receivers over his career, including Jujan Dawson (Tulane), Rod Gardner (Clemson), and Chris Henry (West Virginia).

From the endowment description, as I read it, nothing should prevent (or should have prevented) Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez from issuing the No. 1 jersey to any position player he wishes, including a three-star defensive back recruit like J.T. Floyd, or a four-star cornerback/quarterback like freshman Denard Robinson.

Rodriguez could instruct senior WR Greg Mathews to accept the No. 1 jersey this fall as a senior.

It doesn’t have to be worn by a wide receiver.

Or am I missing something?

Let me close by saying that I understand what Braylon Edwards is trying to do. The main idea is scholarship and education. It’s impossible for us to measure the total aggregate payback whenever you pay something forward in life, as he has clearly done, and continues to do in exponentially larger sums than most of us will ever be able to do.

Edwards had a fantastic career at Michigan, and deserves the gratitude of the students, the university, and fans like me for what his foundation is doing.

But the No. 1 jersey was never an earned commodity at Michigan. If it was earned at one time, it does not constitute a long-time Michigan football tradition as such. That jersey number may have been “earned” by Edwards during the 2003 season while being coached by Lloyd Carr (Edwards previously wore No. 80 as a freshman and sophomore receiver at Michigan).

The truth is that “earning” the No. 1 jersey was not a tradition at Michigan at all prior to the 2003 season. Anthony Carter, Greg McMurtry, Derrick Alexander, Tyrone Butterfield, and even David Terrell were all handed the No. 1 jersey from the equipment manager as freshmen. They didn’t have to “earn it” per se.

It all depends when you start watching the movie. Edwards clearly started watching the film in 1979 when Anthony Carter showed up on campus and his father was the starting tailback.

Peeling the onion a little further back, in 1979 Michigan returned a massive number of returning starters on both offense and defense. The Wolverine football team was hands- down the major favorite to win the Big Ten championship that year. Michigan did have two notable key losses to graduation: quarterback Rick Leach and placekicker/punter Greg Willner.

But who was the greater loss? Leach or Willner?

As the 1979 unfolded, Michigan lost four games by a total of 10 pts (3.3 points per game).

Michigan missed a high number of field goal attempts and extra points in 1979, and had some of the worst punting statistics in the conference, if not the nation.

Football game crowds in Ann Arbor were electrified by a certain 5-10, “pelican-legged” kid from Riviera Beach, Florida playing wide receiver.

Michigan had found relatively productive replacements for Leach at quarterback in BJ Dickey and John Wangler.

Given the 1979 kicking game fiasco, the loss of Greg Willner–a reliable punter and place kicker for three years–turned out to be the biggest difference between an 8-3-0 season and a Gator Bowl visit, and another 10-1-0 season, a Big Ten title, and another Rose Bowl invitation.

This fact got lost in the highlight reels of spectacular catches, TD runs, and punt returns by Anthony Carter. This is completely understandable, as Anthony Carter was the greatest wide receiver ever in college football history.

But Michigan football missed Greg Willner’s consistency in 1979; that fact cannot be disputed.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez should be free to choose which player wears the No. 1 jersey, regardless of whether that player eventually turns out to be the next David Terrell, Braylon Edwards, Charles Woodson, or even the next Tyrone Butterfield.

The Braylon Edward's Foundation should be free to continue its charitable scholarship endowment to the university.

As a fan of college football at Michigan, I would love to see a Wolverine quarterback, tailback, linebacker, or defensive back wear the No. 1 jersey at Michigan. Maybe even a kicker?

Jersey numbers for the 2009 Michigan football team season will be issued in the coming months.

Check your watches. We appear to be right on time for yet another episode of controversy.

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