The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/230001
to graduate and be with a group of guys that I love to death. I am always hard on myself, but I am really, really proud of myself. It has been an honor to grow up to be the guy I am today." Offensive tackle Taylor Lewan Hoke on Lewan: "He has obviously had a tremendous career here, and this past year, I thought he played his best football, helping some young guys learn how to play Division I football and leading a group of guys along the line. Taylor has the opportunity to do something a lot of us don't: go home and win at home. He's very Chapparal High School, which is the high school we will be practicing at for the bowl game." Lewan: "My teammates, I love you all like brothers. I know the season didn't go the way we wanted, but I told you after the Ohio State game I wouldn't change this for the world, not anything. I love each and every one of you. "I would like to thank great offensive linemen like Jake Long, Jon Jansen, Steve Hutchinson. They're guys I look up to and wish to be like. And a shout out to Fred Jackson, for telling me I will never be like those guys. "Going into my freshman year of high school, we were going into summer conditioning. I was fat and out of shape. I was that awkward skinny In his speech, offensive lineman Taylor Lewan thanked his teammates, the great offensive linemen who have played at U-M in the past, and especially his father. Photo by Per Kjeldsen fat, with skinny arms and a belly, like Mike from 'Monsters, Inc.' It sucked. And I was getting destroyed, I went to my dad and said, 'I want to quit. I'm done. I don't want to do it anymore.' He said, 'All right, but you have to go tell the head coach.' He went and sat in the car, and two hours later, I came back, even more tired and sore than I was. He said, 'Taylor, I'm not raising you to be a quitter. I want you to see what it's like on the other side.' And I could not have imagined this being the other side. "Thank you so much for my team, the true fans — not the haters — I appreciate everything you have done. It's unbelievable." ❑ Click to hear Taylor Lewan's speech at the Football Bust. (Click the icon to play or stop audio)