PRO BLUE

Four former Wolverines set to play in the Super Bowl

Michigan Wolverine turned Super Bowl Champion is turning into a yearly occurrence!

Published

1 month ago

February 5, 2023

January 1,2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive end Frank Clark (57) rushes against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half of the 2013 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In a bit over a week, a former Michigan football player will be able to call themselves a Super Bowl Champion. The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in what is sure to be an exciting matchup.

For Michigan fans, what may be even more exciting is that yet another former Wolverine will be able to call themselves a Super Bowl Champion. Both the Chiefs and the Eagles have at least one former Michigan football player on the active roster, with Kansas City having three while Philadelphia has one.

Brandon Graham (Eagles)

Brandon Graham has been dominating the sport of football for what seems like ages at this point. He attended the University of Michigan from 2006-2009 and had one of the most successful careers in program history. Over four years, Graham recorded 29.5 sacks and a jaw-dropping 56 tackles for loss. He was an impact player on the Wolverine defense for about his entire career before the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him in 2010.

As an Eagle, Graham has had an awe-inspiring career. Through his 13 seasons in Philadelphia, he’s recorded 70 sacks and 22 forced fumbles. Not to mention, he’s already a Super Bowl champion, so he’s a veteran in that regard as well. Against the 49ers, he only recorded one tackle on the day, but do not be surprised to see him make a big play or two when he faces off against the Chiefs in a bit over a week.

Frank Clark (Chiefs)

Like Graham, Frank Clark was an impact player at Michigan for most of his career. His final two seasons with the Wolverines were by far his most successful. Over that stretch, he recorded nine sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 and has been with the Kansas City Chiefs since the 2019 season.

Clark has also had an incredibly successful career so far in his time in the NFL. Not only can he also claim to be a Super Bowl Champion, but he’s a three-time Pro Bowler. In his eight seasons in the NFL, he’s recorded 58.5 sacks and 67 tackles for loss, so he is no stranger to the opponent’s backfield. In his most recent game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he recorded 1.5 sacks and was clearly fired up about having the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl again.

Mike Danna (Chiefs)

Mike Danna only played one season with the Wolverines, as he spent his first four years of college football with the Central Michigan Chippewas. Still, he showed he was more than capable of handling the jump to the Big Ten, as he recorded three sacks and 38 total tackles in his sole season as a Wolverine. He was then drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 and wasted no time making an impact on one of the best teams in the league.

While his career may be young, he has shown significant improvement over his three years, bumping up his sack numbers each season. After recording just 2.5 sacks in his rookie year, he’s gotten to the quarterback five times this season, and he’s not done yet. Against the Bengals, he recorded five total tackles, showing that he is more than comfortable leaving it all on the field for his team. Don’t be surprised to see him turn some heads in the Super Bowl and throughout the rest of his career going forward.

Chad Henne (Chiefs)

Chad Henne is widely viewed as one of the greatest quarterbacks to wear the maize and blue in Ann Arbor. He started for the Wolverines all four years on campus and finished his career with a whopping 9,715 passing yards and 90 total touchdowns. Following his senior season, Henne was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the 2008 NFL Draft.

The only offensive player on this list, while he doesn’t boast the crazy stats other quarterbacks may have, has had an incredibly successful career in the NFL. I mean, you don’t play 13 seasons in the NFL if you aren’t doing something right. Over his career, he’s recorded 13,290 passing yards and 64 total touchdowns. While he is backing up star quarterback Patrick Mahomes this year, if he finds a way to make his way on the field in the Super Bowl, Michigan fans will undoubtedly be rejoicing from wherever they stand.

Super Bowl LVII is set to take place Sunday, February 12, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. EST in Glendale, Arizona. Whoever you may want to win in the end, it’s always a pleasure to see some former Wolverines take the field in the NFL, especially if the Super Bowl is involved.

Up Next

Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson wins Pepsi Defensive Rookie of the Year

Don't Miss

Jake Moody wins offensive MVP in East-West Shrine Bowl

Click to comment

PRO BLUE

Ohio State player takes shot at Michigan football at NFL Combine

A former All-Big Ten Buckeye had some choice words about the Wolverines during the combine.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 5, 2023

CJ Mangum

Nov 27, 2021; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (6) runs the ball in for a touchdown defended by Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Cameron Brown (26) at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

There has been plenty of talk about the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry this week throughout the NFL Combine. The top athletes from Ohio State and Michigan football are showing off and showing out, and with that, there have been quite a few questions about ‘The Game’ from reporters. During the combine, former Ohio State cornerback Cameron Brown had some words for the Wolverines.

What did Brown say about Michigan football?

First off, Buckeye corner Cameron Brown claimed that he has had “No issue” with the Wolverines that he has seen during the combine workouts. Still, he followed it up with a shot at Michigan football:

[Michigan football players] can’t talk to me much,” Brown said with the implication that the Wolverines aren’t on his level. “[Michigan] won two games in the last 15,” Brown said, “They got it. They can have that.” According to Cleveland.com, Brown said that watching Michigan celebrate both wins like it had won something bigger than one game – parading around the field, planting their flag at midfield in Columbus – struck him as funny.

It is notable to point out that Cameron Brown will leave Ohio State with a losing record against Michigan football as a starter, and his last game in ‘The Shoe’ was a 45-23 beat down at the hands of Harbaugh’s Wolverines.

Michigan, Ohio State players appear to be getting along fine

Throughout the week, former Buckeyes and Wolverines have had shockingly kind words of one another at the combine. Former Michigan football standout Mike Morris had nothing but good things to say about a few of the Buckeyes that he had met, and the same was true of Ohio State players with some Wolverines. Things aren’t getting too chummy, but there may be a little hope that Wolverines and Buckeyes can get along.

For now, the rivalry can be settled on the field, just as Michigan football has done in blowout fashion for the past two years.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Managing Editor at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other steaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

PRO BLUE

WATCH: Ronnie Bell has insane one-handed catch at combine

Does this look familiar or what, Michigan fans?

Published

2 weeks ago

March 5, 2023

CJ Mangum

Does this look familiar, Michigan football fans? It should, because once again, former Michigan Wolverines wide receiver Ronnie Bell is turning heads on the biggest stage. During Bell’s combine performance on Saturday, he somehow snagged a ball out of the air with one hand after slipping up — it was arguably the most impressive moment of the day in front of the NFL’s top scouts.

Ronnie Bell snags ball one-handed

Here is the clip of Bell’s catch:

Nice little one-hander from @UMichFootball WR Ronnie Bell. 🖐️

📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/BC8ezTZzLS

— NFL (@NFL) March 4, 2023

This is a familiar sight for Michigan fans

All Michigan football fans should not be surprised at Bell’s catch, after all, he did the exact same thing (in a game) against Western Michigan in 2021. Sadly, that catch was called back, so Bell followed it up with an incredible 76-yard touchdown grab soon after.

Now, Bell is in front of the nation’s top scouts trying to make an impression on his draft stock ahead of this year’s NFL Draft in April. He will need more than just one impressive catch at the combine; however, this is a good start — as many know, Bell is an incredible receiver with great hands, speed, and plenty of heart. No matter where he ends up, we’re confident that Bell will make an immediate splash in the National Football League this fall.

PRO BLUE

Michigan football likely won’t have a first round draft pick in 2023

Of the nine Michigan Wolverines heading to this year’s NFL Draft, none are projected higher than mid-2nd round.

Published

1 month ago

February 16, 2023

CJ Mangum

Oct 2, 2021; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Chase Wolf (2) is sacked by Michigan Wolverines linebacker David Ojabo (55) and defensive end Mike Morris (90) during the fourth quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Well, it’s that time of year again — the NFL Draft is fast approaching and much of the talent that made the 2022 college football season fun is preparing to make the jump to the next level. Michigan football is no stranger to this time of year, U-M holds the longest NFL Draft streak in the nation, though the Wolverines usually expect to have at least one of its star players go in the first round.

This year may be an exception to that, which is especially odd considering the fact that Michigan football won a Big Ten Championship a season ago and finished with a 13-1 record; in fact, the season before, the Michigan Wolverines saw similar success, going 12-2 and winning the Big Ten title. It’s an odd phenomenon, but don’t expect a ‘Michigan Man’ to get his name called on day one of the NFL Draft.

Who is Michigan football putting in the draft?

Despite having zero projected first rounders in this year’s NFL Draft, the Wolverines are putting the most talent into the league of any team in the conference. Michigan leads the Big Ten with nine players heading to the NFL Combine before the draft, though there is a chance that not all nine are picked up immediately, and may have to wait until after the draft to sign with a team.

Here are the nine Michigan Wolverines looking to make an NFL roster:

Ronnie Bell, WR
Ryan Hayes, OL

Jake Moody, K
Olu Oluwatimi, OL
Mazi Smith, DL

Mike Morris, DE
Brad Robbins, P
Luke Schoonmaker, TE

DJ Turner, DB

Of these Wolverines, only one is projected to be drafted within the first two rounds of the NFL Draft: Mazi Smith. In fairness, some of this has to do with positional value — Robbins and Moody would be far higher on some mock drafts if punters and kickers were as valuable as running backs and wide outs.

Only one Wolverine projected to go in second round

According to NFL.com’s most recent 3-round mock draft, Mazi Smith is the first Wolverine off the board, going No. 42 overall to the Cleveland Browns. There, he would join former Michigan legends Donovan Peoples-Jones and Chase Winovich.

After Smith, the next Michigan football alum off the board is Mike Morris, who is projected to go at No. 179 overall to the Indianapolis Colts — this would be a great fit for Smith, who is used to playing in Indy from his days as a Wolverine. The other seven Wolverines are all projected to go after the third round.