At Michigan, he redshirted as a true freshman. Then, as a redshirt freshman for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team, he battled for the starting middle linebacker position and appeared to have lost the position early in the season. However, after an injury he became a regular starter. He concluded the season with thirteen and twelve tackle efforts against bitter rivals Michigan State and Ohio State, respectively. He started his redshirt sophomore season with a Big Ten Conference defensive player of the week, fifteen-tackle effort for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team. He finished the season as an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection. Just after earning 2009 midseason Butkus Award watchlist recognition, he was removed from the starting lineup and saw limited action in the final four games.
As a youth, Ezeh was unable to play football because he was too big for the local leagues according to Grand Rapids area officials.[4] As a sophomore running back for the 2003 Catholic Central Cougars football team, Ezeh had several 100-yard games as well as multiple touchdown games,[5][6][7] even though he was not the primary weapon in the backfield.[8] Ezeh was also a member of the Cougars rugby team that placed 11th at the 2004 United States High School Rugby National Championships.[9]
As a junior running back, he opened his football season with 170yards on 18carries.[10] In the 2004 district championship game, he rushed for 88yards in the first half, but was held to 5 in the second half as Catholic Central lost 33–20.[11] Over the course of the season he compiled 907 rushing yards and 13touchdowns.[12] Ezeh was recognized as a Detroit News Class B All-state honorable mention linebacker.[13] He was also selected as Grand Rapids All-area honorable mention, according to The Grand Rapids Press.[14] He also helped lead the 2005 rugby team to a State Championship threepeat.[15]
In 2005, Ezeh entered his senior season as the focal point of his school's running game and was rated as the seventh-best football prospect in the state of Michigan, according to The Detroit News.[16] He was also invited to try out for the United States national rugby union team as an outside center.[17] During the season, Ezeh was regularly among the leading rushers in the area.[18][19] In the Division 4 state semifinal game, Ezeh returned a kickoff 80yards for a touchdown and rushed for 136yards on 24 carries. During the game, after Catholic Central scored on a quarterback sneak with 2:28 remaining, Ezeh scored on a two-point conversion to give his team a 35–34 victory.[20] This led them to the 2005 MHSAA state championship game at Ford Field, which they lost 17–10 to Powers Catholic High School.[21] By the end of the season, Ezeh had compiled a school record 2,914 career rushing yards, which included 33 touchdowns. During his senior year, he also occasionally played linebacker, recording 34 tackles (16 for a loss).[22] Although, he missed part of the season with an ankle injury, he totaled 1,391yards and 10 touchdowns on 217 carries and added seven pass receptions, including one touchdown,[23] and he was recognized as a 2nd-team All-area running back.[24]The Detroit News recognized him as their postseason number six blue chip prospect in the state,[25] and he was selected to play in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association's annual all-star game.[26] In February 2006, he signed his letter of intent to play for Michigan,[27] where it was unclear whether he would play fullback, tight end or linebacker.[23]
As expected,[23] Ezeh, who had suffered a shoulder injury,[28] redshirted his freshman year.[3] Prior to his redshirt freshman season, he changed jersey numbers from 44 to 45 as he converted from fullback to linebacker.[29][30] On May 22, 2007, he was charged with suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated for an incident when his vehicle struck a utility pole on the same street on which he lives while his blood-alcohol content was 0.11% (the legal limit in Michigan is 0.08%). Ezeh pleaded not guilty, and the trial was scheduled for September 19 in the 15th District Court.[31] The time of the accident was outside the permissible times for Ezeh's restricted driving license that resulted from a prior non-alcohol-related accident.[32] On the football field, redshirt freshman Ezeh entered the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team in a three-way battle to replace NFL-bound David Harris at middle linebacker with redshirt junior John Thompson and junior college transfer Austin Panter, who had been named national junior college defensive player of the year.[28] Harris also hailed from Grand Rapids and had worn the number 45.[33] The week before the season opener, The Detroit News declared Ezeh the starter,[34] however, the Ann Arbor News and Ezeh's hometown The Grand Rapids Press both stated that the race between Ezeh and Thompson was undecided heading into the game.[35][36] In the aftermath of the September 1, opening game loss to two-time defending FCS championAppalachian State Mountaineers, more was made of the fact that both players had trouble playing the position than who had started the game.[37] Ezeh started the first game, but lost his spot to Thompson in the next two.[38] After three weeks of play, Thompson, who had been voted the hardest hitter on the team the previous two seasons, had established himself as the starter by ranking second on the team in tackles.[39] However, although Thompson had stepped up to the role he was notable for having trouble with pass coverage.[30] Ezeh accumulated no statistics in the third and fourth game,[40] but recorded his first interception in the fifth game on September 29 against Northwestern on a deflected pass.[41][42] Ezeh started that game because of an injury.[38] The following week, he again started in place of the injured Thompson and recorded nine tackles against Eastern Michigan.[40][43] He also forced a fumble and fielded one kickoff return.[38] Even though Thompson recovered from his ankle injury after four weeks,[44] Ezeh retained the starting job the remainder of the season for a total of ten starts.[45] Thompson only recorded four tackles the rest of the year.[46] On November 1, his lawyer stated that on August 29 Ezeh had pleaded guilty to an operating while visibly intoxicated charge, which is a serious misdemeanor but a lesser charge than the original operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and had sought alcohol counseling prior to his sentence. The plea resulted in a year's probation, three days in a work release program, a substantial payment covering fines, court costs and restitution. He committed to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving class.[47][48] In the November 3 Paul Bunyan Trophy victory against Michigan State he recorded a season-high 13 tackles and two sacks.[40] One of the sacks occurred on Michigan State's final series of downs in Michigan territory to help secure the 28–24 win.[49] Ezeh recorded 12 tackles in the Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game against Ohio State on November 17 to end the regular season.[40]
Obi Ezeh on September 5, 2009
After the graduation of Shawn Crable and Chris Graham there was again a notable battle for linebacker positions entering the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team. Ezeh who had posted 68 tackles in 2007 was the leading returning tackler.[50] As the only returning starting linebacker, Ezeh assumed the role of mentor.[51] Ezeh won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award on September 1, 2008, for a game against the Utah Utes where he recorded 15 tackles and an interception.[52][53] He also earned an ABC Player of the Game recognition.[3] Ezeh also posted fifteen tackles in the October 4 game against the Illinois Fighting Illini,[54] which earned him his second ABC Player of the Game award.[3] He posted two other double digit tackle games, including a ten tackle effort in his second Paul Bunyan Trophy game.[54] Ezeh finished the season seventh in the Big Ten in tackles.[55] He was recognized as an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media.[56] He won the 2008 Roger Zatkoff Award as Michigan's top linebacker.
Ezeh entered the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season opener with the third most career starts (23) on the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team behind punter Zoltan Mesko (38) and offensive linemanStephen Schilling (26).[57] As a redshirt junior during the 2009 season for the Wolverines, Ezeh posted fourteen tackles against Michigan State bringing his three-game career total to 37 tackles against the Spartans.[58] Ezeh had grown up in a neighborhood with many Michigan State fans who flew their Michigan State flags,[59] and he once attended Michigan Football camp wearing a Michigan State shirt.[60] He has been included on both the 2009 midseason and the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award.[1] The midseason list includes sixteen linebackers.[2] Although he was added to the midseason Butkus watchlist in mid October, on October 31 he was removed from the starting lineup after starting 29 straight games.[61]
Jake Edward Long is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he was a two-time consensus All-American, and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He also played for the St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings.
Cato Nnamdi June is an American football coach and former player who is an assistant linebackers coach for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played as a linebacker in the NFL after being selected by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. A 2006 Pro Bowl choice, June was a member of the Super Bowl XLI champion Colts that defeated the Chicago Bears. During the Super Bowl championship season, June was the Colts' leading tackler. In addition to his tenure with the Colts, he played in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Before becoming a professional, he played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and was an outstanding athlete in high school football, basketball, track and field and baseball at Anacostia High School in Washington, D.C. As a senior, he was widely regarded to be the best high school football player in the District of Columbia.
Ian Maurice Gold is an American former professional football player who played as a linebacker for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Denver Broncos from 2000 to 2003 and 2004 to 2007 and for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. He appeared in 115 NFL games, 80 as a starter, registered 422 tackles, and was selected to play in the 2002 Pro Bowl.
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Donald Patrick Dufek Jr. is a former American football player who played safety and special teams for eight seasons with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He had previously played for the Michigan Wolverines football team in Ann Arbor from 1973 to 1975. He was chosen to serve as team captain for both the Seahawks and Wolverines.
The 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference. The team attempted to rebound from its worst season in its 130-year football history and succeeded at first, starting the season 4–0 and earning a No. 20 ranking in the polls. Over the final eight games the Wolverines went 1–7 however, ending the season with a 5–7 record and failing to qualify for a bowl game for the second straight year. 2008 and 2009 were Michigan's first back-to-back sub-.500 seasons since 1962 and 1963; they also failed to win a road game for the first time since 1962.
Morgan Trent is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan from 2005 to 2008. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He was also a member of the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Washington Redskins.
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The 1987 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its 19th season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the team compiled an 8–4 record, defeated Alabama in the Hall of Fame Bowl, outscored opponents by a total of 331 to 172, and was ranked No. 19 and No. 18, respectively, in the final AP and UPI polls.
The 1983 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1983 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 15th season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a 9–3 record, lost to Auburn in the 1984 Sugar Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a total of 355 to 160.
David Michael Molk is a former American football center. Molk previously played college football at the same position for University of Michigan, where he was a consensus All-American and won the 2011 Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Diego Chargers.
Stephen Dana Schilling is a former American football offensive guard. He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award. He had previously been a two-time Associated Press first-team Class 3A All-state selection in Washington for the Bellevue High School Wolverines football team where he played on three state champion teams.
Justin Matthew Boren is a former American football guard. Though a guard in the NFL, Boren played both guard and center during his high school and college football career. In high school, he was widely regarded as one of the top offensive linemen in the country and one of the top football prospects in the state of Ohio. He was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and was a Parade All-American and an Associated Press All-Ohio selection. The son of 1982 and 1983 Michigan Wolverines tackles leader Mike Boren, Justin was widely recruited by the nation's top schools, including both his father's alma mater, the University of Michigan and its archrival, Ohio State University, Boren's hometown school.
The 1967 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1967 Big Ten Conference football season. In its ninth year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 4–6 record, tied for fifth place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 179 to 144.
The 1951 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1951 Big Ten Conference football season. In its fourth year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan compiled a 4–5 record, finished in fourth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 135 to 122. For the first time since 1937, Michigan was not ranked in the final AP Poll. It was ranked at No. 29 in the final Litkenhous Ratings.
The 1934 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1934 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth season under head coach Harry Kipke, the Wolverines compiled a 1–7 record and finished last in the Big Ten. Prior to the 1934 season, the Wolverines had compiled a 22-game undefeated streak dating back to October 1931.
The 1921 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1921 Big Ten Conference football season. In his 21st year as head coach, Fielding H. Yost led Michigan to a 5–1–1 record, as the Wolverines outscored their opponents with a combined score of 187 to 21. Michigan recorded shutouts in five of its seven games, allowing only 14 points in a loss to Ohio State and 7 points in a tie with Wisconsin. Over the course of five home games at the newly expanded Ferry Field, the Wolverines attracted crowds totaling 143,500 with receipts totaling $170,000.
The 1920 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the Big Ten Conference during the 1920 college football season. In its 20th season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the team compiled a 5–2 record, finished sixth in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 121 to 21.
The 1919 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the Big Ten Conference during the 1919 college football season. In its 19th season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a 3–4 record – the only losing season in Yost's 30-year career as a head football coach. The team was outscored by a total of 102 to 93 and finished in a tie for seventh place in the Big Ten. After winning three of four games to start the season, the team lost its final three games against Chicago, Illinois, and Minnesota.
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