A Bo Schembechler Story Part 4

Back to Bo Schembechler. Bo’s first love was playing baseball. Being a left-handed pitcher, Bo was summoned to the mound in an important state semifinal baseball game as a senior in high school. The opposing team in the last and final inning had the bases-loaded with none out in a scoreless game. Would Bo put out the fire? The battle was between him and the batter at the plate. The better won by looping a single past the first baseman and down the right-field line in fair territory. All three of the runners Bo inherited, scored, making the score 3-0 dashing Bo’s chance to be the hero. He was the goat. Bo also played high school football and that turned out to be some ways, a significant failure also. In this particular important hard-fought game, Bo’s team lost, 7-0. After the game, Bo was found in the locker room, crying. He later said that football is an emotional game and that crying is okay regarding winning and losing. However, it’s not okay to cry if one is injured. Bo wanted to play football for Notre Dame. His disappointment surfaced when he was not recruited by the fighting Irish. Mike Keller was a big fish in a little pond, in Grand Rapids, Michigan and then he became a little fish in a big pond. It wasn’t until recruiting letters came in that his thinking changed to “maybe I can play football “even though he thought that basketball was his best sport. He committed to the University of Michigan, in large part, because he perceived himself as a student first and a football player second. He knew Michigan had a good academic reputation, and believed he would receive a solid education. That degree would place him in a good position for the rest of his life. He would be close to home, might even attend law school, and become an attorney. And on top of that, there was also a possibility of going to the Rose Bowl as a student or player.