Leading OFF
At Michigan, ‘what’s good for the hive is good for the bee’
Left guard Trevor Keegan remembers it wasn’t always this way for Michigan football.
Over his first two years in Ann Arbor, back in 2019 and 2020, the Wolverines went a combined 11-8. The program’s juice was nowhere to be found, and “brotherhood” was more of a buzzword than a lifestyle.
The end of that 2020 season, in which the Wolverines finished 2-4, was just two years ago. But it couldn’t feel further away for Keegan.
He and his teammates are preparing for their second consecutive College Football Playoff berth, with two Big Ten titles, two wins over rival Ohio State and a 25-2 record over their past 27 games in their pockets.
“It’s super different, I was a freshman and sophomore then,” Keegan reflected in mid-December. “I think we just had a lot of selfish players. Didn’t really have good culture. There were people who were here to go to the NFL and that was all they cared about.
“Now, there’s dudes who have created a brotherhood, care for each other and want to achieve goals together. It’s completely different.”
Perhaps fifth-year linebacker Michael Barrett put the new attitude best: “What’s good for the hive is good for the bee.”
It’s a philosophy that seemingly has been proved in 2022: Michigan is one of two programs in the nation sitting at 13-0, and in the process 22 Wolverines earned All-Big Ten honors, the most of any conference team.
That’s a tribute to the talent, sure, but the Wolverines have had several teams stocked with highly rated recruiting classes that didn’t have this type of season.
As the players explained, the difference is they’re genuinely rooting for one another.
“Everybody wants to see their brother succeed,” Barrett said. “There’s no bad looks from anybody or anything like that. It’s more just a family for real. We’re in here so much together, we’re always bonding and I feel like it’s just a little tighter than it was in previous years.”
Tight end Colston Loveland can’t speak to the down years.
The true freshman hasn’t even lost a game in college, actually. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand how locker rooms work. The breakout pass catcher with touchdowns against Ohio State and Purdue said he could see a bond within the team when he visited during the 2021 season – it was one of the aspects that lured him from Gooding, Idaho, to Ann Arbor.
Still, he was surprised to see how real the camaraderie was.
“I didn’t think it was going to be so tied together,” Loveland said. “I thought it might be more cliquey, not as tight of a bond, you know, because it’s a lot of people coming from all over.
“But you can see everyone is together, everyone has love for each other.”
The notion of unity is easier said than done. Blending nearly 100 sets of beliefs and opinions, plus the healthy egos created from nearly every Wolverine coming from a team in which they were the top dog, well, it’s almost a challenge worthy of a higher power.
Then again, coach Jim Harbaugh hasn’t shied away from invoking a purpose from above, calling this season a “godly mission” and his team “one of great faith” after it secured the first 13win season in program history.
Loveland also noted that push. “First, shoutout to Pastor Robby (Emery), he’s our team pastor,” Loveland said. “This team, I’ve never seen anything like it. How spiritual it is, how much we pray and just talk to God and bring God in our lives.
“It’s super special, and I’m glad I’m a part of it.”
That togetherness has allowed the team to embrace the contributions from younger players who might otherwise be marginalized.
It has allowed sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy to be seen as a leader at just 19.
It allowed sophomore running back Donovan Edwards to step up against Ohio State and Purdue with 401 yards rushing and three touchdowns, all while still campaigning for teammate Blake Corum to win the Heisman.
And it has allowed former five-star freshman Will Johnson to become the “third starter” at cornerback alongside DJ Turner and Gemon Green.
As fellow defensive back Rod Moore put it, “You don’t really see it, we all just blend together.
“Like you see Will, he just came in, but he doesn’t act like a freshman. You wouldn’t say Will is a freshman, that’s how I was last year. You have a certain level of cockiness but you don’t put it out there. It’s more so earning your respect from the older guys.”
With the respect earned, and freely given, the Wolverines continue their preparation for TCU.
There were no practices during the beginning of finals. Their on-field work only began in mid-December as the players finished up their tests.
As the Wolverines prepare for the biggest game of their lives, little has changed inside Schembechler Hall. Because the leaders know what got them there, and what will get them to the final game of the year.
“With team success comes individual success,” Keegan said. “That’s our motto – that’s everybody’s mindset.”