The setting is Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 22, 1969. The media
called this the beginning of the 10 Year War. Ohio State coached by the legend,
Woody Hayes was bringing his number one ranked Buckeyes with a 23 game winning
streak to play the Michigan Wolverines. The media hyped the Buckeyes to the
extent and said that they were worthy to play the mighty Minnesota Vikings
[that year with Coach Grant they scored the most offensive points and gave up
the fewest points] in the NFL. OSU were favored to steamroll the Wolverines by 17
½ points on that Saturday. Coach Hayes called this his best team ever. The year before his Buckeyes slaughtered, Michigan
50-14. To make matters worse, and rub salt in the face of the Wolverines, Hayes,
late in the game, on the 7th touchdown had his team run for a two-point
conversion. Hayes said because he couldn’t go for three points when asked” why”
by the media.
That Saturday’s matchup pitted Coach Hayes against his protégé and
first year Michigan head coach Glenn Edward “Bo” Schembechler. Schembechler, years earlier. was a position
coach for Woody Hayes when OSU was the number one ranked team in the country.
The team captain on that football team, whose position coach was Schembechler, was
Gary Moeller. On this Saturday, the former Buckeye captain Moeller was now a
position coach for Bo Schembechler.
On that historic Saturday, the 17 ½ point underdog, University of
Michigan whipped that mighty team from Columbus, Ohio, and the transformation
of Michigan football once again reached prominence. In fact, during the 10 year
war between the two coaches and teams, the winner was the Big Ten conference
champion and was eligible to play in Pasadena, California on January 1, In the
Rose Bowl. Eight players and coach Moeller from that game are profiled. Did
these 9 create the new legend, was it simply Bo’s imprint or was it a symbiotic
relationship between the coach and players that created the dominance?
During that historic season, the Wolverines were 3-2 after five
games. In the sixth game, they were losing at halftime. They came together and
won the next 24 out of 25 regular-season games. In that 1969 season, they began
the blowout of the Big Ten teams before their final game of the season. They
demolished Iowa, the week before 51 – 0. They were ready to take on Ohio State,
right then and there, as they were all singing returning from Iowa City. That
next week it snowed in Ann Arbor, and the coaches shoveled the field so players
could practice. That week of practice was like no other as the intensity was
fierce and brutal. The players were high, motivated and eager. Prior to taking
the field on that November, Bo smashed the chalkboard with ferocity and as the players left to go to the tunnel to
reach the playing field, the seniors started throwing around and smashing
furniture- Thom was scared. Going through the tunnel, players were mesmerized
and floating on air with their goal ahead of them. Team captain senior, Jim
Mandich turned and faced his teammates with tears, spittle and spouting
unintelligible words with both fists shaking high in the air before he led his
band of brothers onto the field.
The Wolverines kicked off to the Buckeyes. Woody Hayes’s team went
down the field and eventually scored a touchdown. However, they missed the
extra point, making the score. OSU 6 and the Wolverines 0. Then Ohio State
kickoff to the Michigan. And, Michigan went down the field and scored a
touchdown and converted the extra point. Michigan 7 and Ohio State 6. Again,
Michigan kicked off to OSU. Once again, OSU went down the field and scored.
This time, Ohio State went for a two-point conversion, but were stopped. The
score is now OSU 12, and Michigan 7. The Buckeyes kicked off and the Wolverines
marched down the field, scored a touchdown and kicked the extra point. Michigan
has the lead, 14 to OSU 12. The Buckeyes never scored again on Michigan scored
10 more points in the half, making the final score Michigan 24 and Ohio State
12.
To gain a sense of the character of those Michigan Wolverines, the
following is a brief glimpse into the profile of one of those players-Thom
Darden. Thom Darden lived in the projects in Sandusky, Ohio. An only child, he
was the Apple of his parent’s eyes and experienced tough love. He was reared by
parents who did not cut corners and expected him to go to church, sing in the
choir and develop his pitching control by practicing throwing the hardball to
his athletic father. Thom, the southpaw gained fame as early as age 7, when he
demonstrated the ability to effectively and superbly pitch with either hand.
Thom was scheduled to pitch in a playoff game when a bee stung his pitching
hand. To make a long story short, Thom pitched with his right hand and that
brought media attention.
Being intelligent, he was admitted into the college prep curriculum
in the Sandusky schools. One problem immediately arose was that he was a
significant minority in school. His athletic friends and buddies were separated
from him in school. He early on, experienced racism as he knew he had to keep
his adolescent emotions in check, and that it was a no-no as far as asking to
dance with a white girl, and a potential lynching as far as asking a girl for a
date. It didn’t matter that he was an athletic star in multiple sports-this was
the 60s.
This cerebral jock during the off-season, studied the game with his
high school coaches. And during his senior season, at the request of his coach
changed positions because the middle linebacker was injured. Thom was a team
player, and even received honors playing a very different football position. In
fact, he was recruited by Bo Schembechler who was then the head coach at Miami
of Ohio. At that meeting, Schembechler had him working out and Thom wanted no
part of him. Thom expected a steak dinner and instead was told to put on his
workout clothes and put through drills. Thom thought he was crazy. Coach Hayes
also recruited Thom. At the Darden household, Coach Hayes used abusive
language, and the elder Mr. Darden, a religious soul did not want that man to
coach his boy. The Darden family was impressed by Wolverine coach Bump Elliott
and Thom left for Ann Arbor in 1968. During Thom’s initial meeting with Bo, in
1969, Bo told him to shut the door and “you thought you got rid of me didn’t
you.”
It’s safe to say that Thom was insecure about his football ability,
and that he disliked Bo Schembechler. If his father knew what Bo was like on
the football field, he would have made sure that Thom transfer to another
school. Thom became Bo’s first Wolfman an integral part of the defense-in some
ways, like a defensive quarterback, In that he was responsible for defending
the pass and stopping the run.
This talented athlete wore his hair in an Afro and became part of
the “mellow men” [7 black athletes] coined by Sports Illustrated that lived
together. They had integrated parties, shut down the engineering building
during protests and Thom was free to openly date anyone he chose. Further, on
the field, he excelled and became an All-American and made a spectacular
interception that resulted in Coach Hayes receiving two 15 yard unsportsmanlike
penalties, Michigan winning the game and ESPN calling it one of the greatest
interceptions of all time and that it defined college football.
Graduating from Michigan, Thom became the first round draft pick of
his Cleveland Browns. He became all pro, became their single season and career
interception leader. He was also ranked in the top 50 of the all-time Cleveland
Browns. He was a superstar with a superstar reputation as the doors opened for
him and the women chased him. He had an ugly media blown, divorce and
eventually retired. While with the Browns, he assisted coach Schembechler by
implementing a Pittsburgh Steelers defensive scheme. The Michigan position coach,
at the time, which he taught was Jack Harbaugh [Jim Harbaugh’s father].
His relationship with Bo Schembechler changed as Bo talked to him
about potential coaching positions in the NFL, about recruiting, and about the
loss of Bo’s son. From being the student, Thom became Bo’s teacher and equal.
Thom experienced an identity disturbance after leaving professional
football. He had to go from being a highly valued celebrity to a regular person
on the street. The adjustment was not easy, and Thom was involved in the media
industry, the college- Pro agent industry. He is now in business for himself-he
assists companies and corporations finding capital to purchase or reinvest in
their own companies.
He is married to Melissa, reared a Catholic, and assists his
biracial daughter in adjusting to the white culture. Like his father, he too is
involved in the church.
No comments:
Post a Comment