An Excerpt From the
New Book Bo’s Warriors :
Bo
Schembechler And The Transformation Of Michigan Football
By Frank Lieberman
On Saturday,
November 22, the University of Michigan hosted the Ohio State University
Buckeyes in Ann Arbor in front of 103,588 fans. Woody Hayes, was the coach of
the nation’s unbeaten (in 22 games), defending national champion top- ranked
college football team. Some called them the greatest team of all time and
compared them to the Minnesota Vikings, the NFL’s gold standard at the time.
Hayes believed this team was one of his best, if not his all-time best. If the
Buckeyes were Goliath, then, the Wolverines were David. Then again, you know
what happened between David and Goliath.
Even though they
were the home team, the Wolverines were 17- point underdogs going into the
game. Michigan had suffered two early-season losses, but had since been on a
roll and entered the game with a 7-2 record. They were led by a young,
first-year coach named Bo Schembechler. Coach Schembechler told his team that
if they couldn’t remember Schembechler, “just call me Bo.” Previously, coach
Schembechler had been a head coach of Miami of Ohio, known as a hotbed of
coaching talent. He brought with him young, talented, energetic and intelligent
football minds in assistants. Gary Moeller , Jim Young, Chuck Stobart, Jerry
Hanlon, and Rick Hunter among others.
These coaches also had experience as high school head coaches, which some
believe contributed to their understanding of how to better communicate, teach
and motivate athletically gifted young men.
Bo was described by
many as a psychological genius because of his ability to understand, teach,
motivate, and underscore the importance of “team” to his players. He drilled
the concept of teamwork over and over again, which resulted in the cohesion of
his squads .It as about the team, the team, and the team. These young men
became psychologically part of a group to which they belonged (what he called “bonded
teammates”). As a result, for example, Mike Taylor, a defensive All-American specialist,
got on Reggie McKenzie an offensive All- American stalwart, for dogging it
during practice drills. He said to Reggie, “Come on, they’re watching you.
Don’t go through the motions.”
Source: The
Wolverine ,October ,2014
To Be Continued
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