The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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from Oakland. "It's great," John said. "I am hum- ble. I have to pinch myself some- times. You can't draw it up that way, but it ended up working out great. The kids love it up there, and it's a great opportunity at a great school. Michigan is the greatest school in the country, and I loved my experience there. To have him be able to go there and play football with my son, Jack, is wonderful. I really appreciate the opportunity Coach [Brady] Hoke has given those boys, to play for him." As Wangler navigated his way through the recruiting process, first committing to Penn State and then switching to a Michigan commitment after receiving an offer from the Wol- verines, he and his dad have had fun swapping recruiting stories. The game has changed signifi- cantly in the last 35 years. John watched the signing day festivities, with press conferences and media inquiries, and remembered his own signing experience. There was no rush back then. Af- ter John's basketball season wrapped up, then-Michigan assistant coach Bill McCartney drove to Royal Oak, Mich., with papers. John was play- ing three-on-three basketball with friends, called a timeout in the game, signed the papers and went back to the game. That was it. "We talked a little bit about our ex- periences," Wangler said. "It's a little different now. With social media and everything, it's a little more hectic. It was a special day, though. He said he will always remember his, and I am sure I will always remember today, too, because this is something I have been dreaming about since I was a little kid." But simply joining the Wolverines doesn't satisfy Wangler. Now, he wants to make an impact. Although a late-season shoulder injury prevented him from partici- pating in the Under Armour All- American Bowl in January, Wangler has been hard at work this offseason in preparation of his move to Ann Arbor to join the Wolverines. "Mostly, I'm trying to get my weight up," he said. "I am up to 225 now. I have been doing a lot of lower- body lifts recently. I am doing rehab on the shoulder right now, too, and it has gotten a lot better. Other than that, I am working on speed drills with my trainer." Wangler and several other De La Salle players train with Lance Long, Former U-M quarterback John Wangler on his kids attending his alma mater "I am humble. I have to pinch myself sometimes. You can't draw it up that way, but it ended up working out great. The kids love it up there, and it's a great opportunity at a great school."