The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? BY JOHN BORTON I magine sitting in the Michigan Sta- dium stands as a recruit on Nov. 22, 1969. That's where Bob Thornbladh found himself, marking the beginning of a lifelong journey with the Wolverines. Thornbladh witnessed it all play out that fateful afternoon, when Bo Schembechler's crew took down the No. 1, talent- laden, supposedly unbeatable Ohio State Buckeyes, 24-12. Woody Hayes' roster appeared more ready for the NFL than the Big Ten, some said. "The atmosphere was electric," noted Thornbladh, who grew up in Ohio but moved to Plymouth, Mich., just prior to his freshman year of high school. "It's one of those special days," he added. "If you've been to an athletic event where a large upset has occurred, or before a Rose Bowl or Super Bowl, the atmosphere is electric. Bo had the team building all year, after a shaky start. "They were loaded. But no one knew Michigan had great players themselves, with [Jim] Mandich and [Dan] Dierdorf, and my great friend Barry Pierson, who put in one of the great performances in Michigan history that day." Thornbladh came to Michigan for rea - sons far beyond football, but he's been shaped by Schembechler forever after. Whether as a player, coach, broadcaster or businessman, the former U-M full- back still harkens back to those days. "There's not a day that goes by when I don't rely on the things Coach Schem- bechler taught me," he said. To this day, Thornbladh speaks al- most reverentially of his former coach. "He was in his early 40s, and he burned with competitive- ness and desire to build the pro- gram," Thornbladh said. "He was a tremendously charismatic guy. He had it. He had a great staff around him." Soon enough, Schembechler had another eager trainee at fullback. Thornbladh played tailback, fullback and linebacker at Plymouth High, but eventually settled into the power posi - tion in Schembechler's option offense. Following a year of freshman football — in which his class of 14 eventual NFL draftees went undefeated — the varsity beckoned. Schembechler's early fullbacks were more than glorified third guards. Thorn - bladh wound up with 163 carries for 677 yards and 11 touchdowns over the course of his career, along with seven receptions for 55 yards. When he wasn't touching the foot - ball, Thornbladh and fellow fullback Ed Shuttlesworth weren't far from it. "We were always at the point of at- tack," Shuttlesworth explained. "If we weren't getting the ball, we were the fullback at the point of attack, on an isolation play, where we're blocking the linebacker at the line, blocking a strong WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Bob Thornbladh Saw Pasadena As A Player, Coach And Broadcaster THORNBLADH