The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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O ver the past 25 years, Michi- gan has produced seven NFL quarterbacks that have com- bined to throw for 102,834 yards, with 657 touchdowns and 406 intercep- tions. They have completed 8,927 pass attempts, good for 61.6 percent, and have started 418 games. Their names are household to U-M fans — Elvis Grbac, Todd Collins, Brian Griese, Tom Brady, Drew Hen- son, John Navarre and Chad Henne — while Brady is included in the con- versation of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. That cadre of quarterbacks has been so strong that Michigan was ranked the No. 2 school in the country for producing pro signal-callers during the last quarter-century by NFL.com. "Thanks mostly to Tom Brady, the Wolverines might have one of the better hit rates on sending QBs to the NFL in recent years," Bryan Fischer wrote in his article. "All seven quar- terbacks drafted in the past 25 years started at least one game in the NFL, and four of them have thrown for more than 10,000 yards as a pro." It's a testament to the Wolverines that they have enjoyed such terrific staying power; Collins (16 seasons), Brady (14, active), Griese (11), Grbac (nine) and Henne (six, active) hung around for at least six seasons, with four of the five (Collins the exception) starting at least 50 games. "You look at the NFL and how many quarterbacks they cycle through on a yearly basis," Fischer said, when reached for further explanation of his top 25. "There is the reason the Bradys and Mannings are so impressive, and more so going forward as we embrace more of the dual-threat quarterbacks. "The careers of these QBs, like Mi- chael Vick, you expect he will be the exception and that a lot of these guys will only play a few years because of the beating they will take. "I think Michigan sticking with MAIZE N' VIEW MICHAEL SPATH Is Devin Gardner U-M's Next NFL QB? A strong final season at U-M could help Gardner become the eighth Michigan quar- terback in the past 25 years to make it to the NFL. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL