I was recently contacted by the Detroit News for a freelance assignment to come up with a list of the Top 25 Michigan football players of all time. I’ve kinda had lists like this in my head over the years but never actually put it down on paper.
One guy who is a lock is Mr. Adolph “Germany” Schulz who dominated the line of scrimmage on Yost’s teams between 1904 and 1908. If he wasn’t a lock on the first pass, this note in his College Hall of Fame profile sealed it:
Grantland Rice wrote in 1928: “Schulz stands as the fastest giant who ever played football, a human bulwark fast enough to tackle at either end, as he brought down his man after the manner of a hawk snaring a quail.”
Clearly, the clever guy who dubbed young Adolph Schulz “Germany” never conferred with the original G Rice.
Speaking of Schulz, I love this photo that I share courtesy of the great U-M Bentley Historical Library. Here’s the still imposing Germany inspecting the 1949 Michigan Stadium expansion, looking somewhat skeptical (click to enlarge):
I’m not sure when the News plans to publish the Top 25 list but I’ll keep you posted. I expect to get the usual beatings that are thrust upon dudes who make sports lists.
Hawk-on-quail-like beatings.
3 Comments
Craig Barker
Thank you for that photo, if only to see the interesting juxtapose of the “old” vs. “new” of Michigan Stadium in that expansion. Michigan Stadium 1927 model was a beauty. Michigan Stadium 2010-11 model is a beauty. The 1955-2007 version had its charms, but they were largely not from aesthetics (and let’s not even talk about the 1998 version.)
Teddy
Can’t wait for list… hopefully Benny Friedman made it.
Speaking of Michigan Stadium expansion, what are the chances we add more seats and brick it around like the Packers are doing with Lambeau http://s14.postimage.org/e5nwtxbw1/Capture.jpg http://s14.postimage.org/cs0vcd20h/Capture1.jpg
Greg - MVictors
@Teddy
re: Benny, fear not, I’ve got you covered.
I understand there is a longterm plan available to enclose the endzones but I’m guessing they are going to leave good enough alone for quite a while.