
Kornacki: Behind the Scenes at Signing of the Stars
2/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 3, 2016
Kareem Walker (left) is welcomed to the stage by Derek Jeter
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Flash and substance.
Those qualities came through loud and clear at the University of Michigan football team's "Signing of the Stars" extravaganza at Hill Auditorium.
Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh and a cast of stars -- including Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, coaching greats Lou Holtz, John Harbaugh and Mike Shanahan, wrestling hall of famer Ric "The Nature Boy" Flair and Migos, a popular hip-hop group -- celebrated the arrivals of signed National Letters of Intent from 21 high school stars and the "Super Seven" already attending classes.
"There are going to be a lot of events like this at other schools next year," Holtz predicted during the festivities.
Defensive tackle Rashan Gary of Paramus (New Jersey) Catholic, the No. 1 player on ESPN's Top 300 list, was the last to come on board. He faxed in his letter at 4:18 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 3) after returning with his mother from Bristol, Connecticut, where he announced his decision in an emotional speech given three hours earlier on live TV.
The Wolverines also secured five others who ranked in the top five at their position groups in No. 3 tight end Devin Asiasi (whom Michigan closed on late), No. 3 pocket passer Brandon Peters, No. 4 running back Kareem Walker, No. 4 offensive tackle Ben Bredeson and No. 5 athlete David Long.
ESPN ranked Michigan's class No. 5 along with 247Sports, while Rivals had the Wolverines No. 4 and Scout put them at No. 6. ESPN announced that the 34-place jump from No. 40 in 2015 was the largest improvement ever made by a school in its rankings.
Michigan got 15 of ESPN's Top 300 players -- more than any other Big Ten school.
"We searched for nuggets of gold," Harbaugh said.
And he brought them back to Ann Arbor.
Harbaugh takes little credit for these leaps and bounds, which included improving the record from 5-7 to 10-3 in his first season. But those who came to celebrate this class with Harbaugh spoke of his massive impact.
"First and foremost, Jim's brought a lot of excitement back to the program," said Jeter, who retired in 2014 after cementing his first-ballot Hall of Fame status as the shortstop and captain of the New York Yankees. "He's got people talking about Michigan, which is good.
"He's got not just members of the media, but fans and everybody talking about Michigan. He makes it fun; he makes it exciting. As a fan, looking at it, this is how it should be."
This recruiting party fit into the "fun" approach.
"I don't even remember what my signing day was like," said Brady. "I know it wasn't anything like this."
Brady beat out highly recruited Drew Henson to become the starting quarterback and captain, leading Michigan to an Orange Bowl win over Alabama as a senior. Brady has won four Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and already is considered by some to be the greatest player ever at his position.
Host Randy Sklar (from left), early enrollee Kingston Davis, Tom Brady, Brandon Peters and Jim Harbaugh
It turns out Brady's also quite a recruiter. He had a lengthy conversation with Harbaugh about returning to Michigan before he took the job Dec. 30, 2014.
"Jim's the perfect fit," said Brady. "But it was a lot of people above me who brought him back. It's great to have a great leader like that."
Brady was walking through the lowest level of Hill Auditorium through a narrow corridor as we talked, and he smiled and waved at the Michigan Marching Band members lining the corridor and awaiting their performance.
"How are you doing, guys?" Brady asked them with a smile.
He is thrilled to have Harbaugh, the Michigan quarterback from 1984-86, back at their alma mater.
"I think anyone who has played here loves the school, loves the tradition," said Brady. "It's just the place to be."
However, not all involved in the day were Michigan Men. Holtz, who coached against Harbaugh while leading Minnesota and Notre Dame in the 1980s, was asked what Harbaugh did to get him to participate by providing analysis for the crowd along with Shanahan and ESPN's Todd McShay.
"He asked me," Holtz said with hearty laughter. "What happened is that our home in Lake Nona in Orlando burned down this summer, and the best man in my wedding was an executive for Chrysler, Bill Roush, who lives in Ann Arbor. His 12-year-old grandson, a week after the fire, sent me a care package with clothes because everything was burned.
"And they were all Michigan clothes. I thought, 'How kind of a 12-year-old to think of that.' And so how could I repay him? So, I called Jim and asked if he would meet with him. He met with him and the family. So, he asked me to come up here for this, and I said, 'I'd be happy to.' He threw a fade from about our 40(-yard line) against me in my first game at Notre Dame to beat us, 24-23, and he lived in Lake Nona and played golf with us."
Holtz said he also came to support the Chad Tough Foundation, which raises funds for pediatric brain tumor research. Harbaugh used Wednesday's event to promote giving to the foundation named for Chad Carr, the grandson of Michigan Hall of Fame coach Lloyd Carr and son of former Wolverines quarterback Jason Carr. Chad died in November, but his mother, Tammi, daughter of Michigan All-American Tom Curtis, told those at Hill that her son's impact was "to inspire people to get involved."
There were few dry eyes in the house, and Harbaugh hugged Tammi heartily after she spoke. Then it was back to football.
I asked Holtz why he believed Harbaugh had been able to turn around Michigan so quickly.
"No. 1, he has credibility," said Holtz. "What he did at Stanford was tremendous. What he did with the San Francisco 49ers was tremendous. He's also able to attract a great staff -- every one of them is outstanding and I love your defensive line coach, Greg Mattison. Jim coaches fundamentals and got everybody on the same page right away.
"Jim always has a vision of where he wants to go and has a plan that he's going to stick to in order to do it. He doesn't worry about what other people say or think."
Analysts (from left) Mike Shanahan, Lou Holtz and Todd McShay
Harbaugh, sitting across the stage from Holtz, Shanahan and McShay, smiled and laughed about many of Holtz's comments and jokes during the event. "Lou's carrying the show," Harbaugh said at one point.
I asked Holtz what Bo Schembechler, his dear friend and Harbaugh's coach at Michigan, would've thought about the day's signing festivities.
"I think Bo would approve it because it looks like Jim has a great class," said Holtz. "But by 5 o'clock, Bo would be talking to these guys about doing things the right way and taking criticism. This is recruiting, and coaching begins at 5."
Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls as head coach of the Denver Broncos, said Harbaugh causes a buzz when recruiting.
"When Jim comes to Denver, with the reputation he has across the country, you can tell how excited people are to have him come," said Shanahan. "He's representing Michigan and has a lot of people believing in him from what he's done at the pro and collegiate levels.
"The people at Michigan are going to see the dividends over the years. What he's been able to do speaks for itself."
McShay, an ESPN NFL Draft guru, added, "Jim Harbaugh is one of the few coaches who can change the culture immediately, just like he has here. He's brought the 'it' back. There are only three coaches you can guarantee will bring success wherever they go. They are Nick Saban, Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh."
Two of Harbaugh's top recruits, Walker and wide receiver Ahmir Mitchell, sat at Hill awaiting the well-paced and entertaining show hosted by comedian and Michigan graduate Randy Sklar.
"This is a cool experience," said Walker. "It's so nice to have all the Michigan fans here supporting us. And I already love this campus; that's why I'm here. It's everything I expected and more."
Mitchell added, "It's wild. It's a lot of people. I wasn't expecting this many people here. I'm just trying to seize the moment and enjoy this. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and not all of our classmates are able to be here. So, we're a select few. We're going to take it all in."
Sklar began the show with some good-natured laughs at Harbaugh's expense by using some of the coach's recruiting oddities in his bit.
"I was supposed to host this at USC," Sklar said. "But Harbaugh found out, slept over at my house (short delay for laughter), climbed a tree, took off his shirt, and started throwing baseballs at my neighbor, and I said, 'I'm here!'"
Sklar joked that receiver Eddie McDoom, from Winter Garden, Florida, had the best name in the class, adding, that it sounded "like a haunted happy meal" name.
Video highlights of the players were shown along with graphic designer Aaron Bills' rendition of them wearing a Michigan uniform and helmet on their left side and their high school uniform and helmet on their right side, blending their past and future.
Holtz joked that offensive guard Michael Onwenu, a 6-foot-5, 350-pound offensive lineman from Detroit Cass Tech, "is going to play guard and tackle at the same time."
Jeter, whose The Players' Tribune carried the two-hour event live on its website, said he's been a Michigan fan since the Schembechler era and is excited about that special vibe returning to his school.
"This is a big deal," said Jeter. "It's a big deal for the University in terms of the signing date, and for The Tribune as well. I've always been in love with the University of Michigan. I attended school here in the offseason of the 1992-93 school year."
Jeter signed a Letter of Intent for Wolverines baseball coach Bill Freehan but signed with the Yankees after they took him No. 6 overall in the first round.
Hill Auditorium
"This has been a passion project for me in terms of The Players' Tribune and the University of Michigan," said Jeter. "I sort of put down the mandate for us to have this relationship, and we've gotten great support from Coach (Harbaugh) and the University."
Jeter and Brady were joined by numerous celebrities and former Wolverines such as Heisman winners Desmond Howard (in person) and Charles Woodson (on video from an outdoor pool) in presenting members of the 28-man class.
Peters, from Avon, Indiana, was introduced by Michigan grad and ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter as the next in a long line of great Michigan quarterbacks started by Harbaugh. Boulder (Colorado) Fairview linebacker Carlo Kemp was noted for his great abilities as well as his 4.0 grade-point average. Running back Kingston Davis of Prattville, Alabama, was compared to Tyrone Wheatley by Shanahan.
Linebacker Devin Bush of Pembroke Pines, Florida, spoke about why he chose the Wolverines over his father's alma mater, Florida State.
A few hours later, Asiasi, the huge and talented tight end from Concord (California) De La Salle, said on ESPN, "I think we have a chance to win a national championship."
Harbaugh, when asked about his feelings on landing the big fish, Gary, told ESPN: "Awesome, with a capital A. I'm so happy about that."
There were smiles everywhere.
The Wolverines were back in the spotlight, showing off flash and substance.