Eric Mayes is a Chief Executive and professor, a former college football coach and American football linebacker. His research focuses on culture and cognition and leadership development.
Mayes played for the University of Michigan football team as a walk-on and was later elected co-captain of the undefeated 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team that won the Associated Press national championship. [1] [2] Mayes, called Zeus by his teammates, was such a motivational and inspirational leader that after suffering a season-ending injury during the teams national championship run, his teammates handed him the Big Ten Conference championship trophy, hoisted him on their shoulders and carried him off the field after defeating Ohio State at Michigan Stadium, 20–14. [3] During the team's visit with Bill Clinton at the White House, Mayes shared remarks and presented the President with a Michigan jersey and made him an honorary "Michigan Man." [4]
At the end of his playing career, Mayes enrolled in graduate school at the University of Michigan and worked with the University of Michigan football team on student-athlete development. He also spent time working with Central Michigan University Football team in recruitment and player development while on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University. After graduating with a Master of Science from Michigan, Mayes worked as a high school technology teacher and coach in Detroit, before earning his Ph.D. from Howard University. He later graduated from Harvard University with a post doctorate master's degree focused on education policy and management. After working on national policy issues in Washington, D.C., Mayes joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins University. [5] before going into higher education and transitioning into public sector executive leadership.
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler Jr. was an American college football player, coach, and athletic administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234 wins, 65 losses and 8 ties. Only Nick Saban, Joe Paterno and Tom Osborne have recorded 200 victories in fewer games as a coach in major college football. In his 21 seasons as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, Schembechler's teams amassed a record of 194–48–5 and won or shared 13 Big Ten Conference titles. Though his Michigan teams never won a national championship, in all but one season they finished ranked, and 16 times they placed in the final top ten of both major polls.
Frank Crawford was an American college football coach, lawyer, and law professor. He served as the first full-time head football coach at both Michigan and Nebraska, and also coached Wisconsin, Baker, and Texas for single seasons. Crawford attended Yale University and served as a lawyer in Nebraska and France following his retirement from football. He was a professor of law at Creighton College of Law from 1906 to 1913.
James Michael Mandich, also known as "Mad Dog", was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). Mandich played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1967 to 1969 and was recognized as a consensus first-team tight end on the 1969 College Football All-America Team. A second-round pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, he played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins (1970-1977) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1978). After his playing career ended, he worked as the color commentator for the Miami Dolphins and also hosted a sports talk show on local AM radio in Miami.
The 1901 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the Western Conference during the 1901 Western Conference football season. In their first year under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the team compiled a perfect 11–0 record, outscored its opponents by a combined total of 550 to 0, tied with Wisconsin for the Western Conference championship, and defeated Stanford by a 49 to 0 score in the inaugural Rose Bowl game, the first college bowl game ever played. Northwestern (8–2–1) had the best record of a Michigan opponent, however Michigan still managed to win 29-0. The 1901 team was the first of Yost's famed "Point-a-Minute" teams, so named for their high scoring offense. From 1901 to 1905, Yost's Michigan teams compiled a record of 55–1–1 and outscored their opponents by a combined score of 2,821 to 42.
Robert Allen Wahl, nicknamed "Brick" Wahl, was a football player who was a two-time All-American for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1949 and 1950. Wahl was also a U.S. Army heavyweight boxing champion who went on to become the president of a Fortune 500 company, Valmont Industries.
Allan McNab Renfrew was a hockey player at the University of Michigan in the late 1940s and a college hockey coach with Michigan Technological University (1951–1956), the University of North Dakota (1956–1957), and the University of Michigan (1957–1973). Renfrew had a storied career as a player, coach and administrator at the University of Michigan, including NCAA championships as both a player and coach. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1986.
Bruce L. Hilkene was the captain and starting left tackle of the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team. The team defeated the USC Trojans 49-0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl and has been selected as the greatest Michigan football team of all time. Hilkene was named captain of the 1945 team but missed the season due to wartime service in the U.S. Navy. In 1947 he returned as captain. Hilkene later served for many years as an executive at General Motors. He was posthumously inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1992.
George Frank Ceithaml was an American football quarterback and coach. He was the starting quarterback for Fritz Crisler's University of Michigan football teams in 1941 and 1942. Crisler later called Ceithaml "the smartest player he ever taught." Ceithaml was selected as the quarterback on the 1942 All-Big Ten Conference team, the captain of the 1942 All-American Blocking Team, and was the 19th player selected in the 1943 NFL Draft. He later served as an assistant football coach at Michigan and the University of Southern California.
Irwin Charles "Utz" Uteritz was an American athlete and coach. He played American football and baseball for the University of Michigan from 1921 to 1923. At 140 pounds, he was one of the lightest quarterbacks ever to start for a major college program. Despite his size, Michigan football coach Fielding H. Yost called him "the best field general I ever had." Uteritz led Michigan to back-to-back undefeated seasons and a national championship in 1923. He also played three years of baseball for Michigan at second base and shortstop, hit above .300 and was elected as captain of the 1923 baseball team. Uteritz later served as a football and baseball coach at Northwestern University (1924–1925), the University of Wisconsin (1925–1935), the University of California (1935–1947), and Washington University in St. Louis (1947–1963).
George Cornell "Bubbles" Paterson was an American football player and engineer. He played center for the University of Michigan Wolverines football teams coached by Fielding H. Yost from 1911 to 1913. He was selected as an All-American in 1913.
The 1922 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1922 Big Ten Conference football season. In Fielding H. Yost's 22nd season as head coach, Michigan compiled a record of 6–0–1, outscored opponents 183–13, and tied with Iowa for the Big Ten championship. On defense, the team did not allow its opponents to score a point in the first five games of the season, and its scoring defense of 1.85 points per game is among the lowest in Michigan football history.
Robert Lee Wiese was an American football player. He played college football for Fritz Crisler's University of Michigan Wolverines football teams in 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1946—missing the 1945 season due to military service. He also played professional football for the Detroit Lions in 1947 and 1948.
Fred Trosko was an American football player and coach. He played at the halfback position for the University of Michigan football team from 1937 to 1939. He later served as the head football coach at Eastern Michigan University from 1952 to 1964.
Matthew Lewis Patanelli was an American football, baseball and basketball player and coach. He played and coached all three sports at the University of Michigan and was selected as the Most Valuable Player on the 1936 Michigan Wolverines football team. He was also the first University of Michigan football player to be selected in an NFL Draft. He was an assistant football coach at Western Michigan University and the University of Michigan (1953–1958).
Steve Szabo is a former American football player and coach. He played football and lacrosse for the United States Naval Academy from 1961 to 1965. After four years of military service, Szabo held coaching positions with 18 collegiate and professional football teams from 1969 to 2011. He served as the head football coach at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania from 1985 to 1987, compiling a record of 15–15–1.
James Betts Nathaniel, his given name makes him Nathaniel James Betts III, after his father and grandfather. Jim is in the direct bloodline of his Cherokee mother and grandmother, though his father was African American. Jim is a former American football player, university administrator, and business executive focusing on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1970. He also briefly played professional football for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). During the 1970s, he worked as an administrator in the University of Michigan athletic department. He later pursued a career in business and was in charge of minority recruitment at Domino's Pizza for many years.
The History of Michigan Wolverines football in the Yost era covers the period from the hiring of Fielding H. Yost as head coach in 1901 through Yost's firing of Tad Wieman as head coach after the 1928 season. The era includes the brief head coaching tenures of George Little and Tad Wieman. Wieman was head coach during the 1927 and 1928 seasons but contended that he had never truly been allowed to take control of the team with Yost remaining as an assistant coach and athletic director.
The history of Michigan Wolverines football in the Kipke years covers the history of the University of Michigan Wolverines football program during the period from the hiring of Harry Kipke as head coach in 1929 through his firing after the 1937 season. Michigan was a member of the Big Ten Conference during the Kipke years and played its home games at Michigan Stadium.
The promotion of Bump Elliott to head coach in 1959 defined a historical era of the University of Michigan Wolverines football through 1968 when he resigned after that season. Michigan was a member of the Big Ten Conference and played its home games at Michigan Stadium during the Elliott years. During the 10 years in which Elliott served as head football coach, Michigan compiled a record of 51–42–2 (.547) and claimed one Big Ten championship, one Rose Bowl victory, and two Chicago Tribune Silver Football awards for the most valuable player in the Big Ten. However, the Wolverines finished higher than third place in the Big Ten only twice.
The History of Michigan Wolverines football in the early years covers the history of the University of Michigan Wolverines football program from its formation in the 1870s through the hiring of Fielding H. Yost prior to the 1901 season. Michigan was independent of any conference until 1896 when it became one of the founding members of the Western Conference. The team played its home games at the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds from 1883 to 1892 and then at Regents Field starting in 1893.