The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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70 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2017 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? coaches misunderstood what they were saying. They knew he could hit, by any name. When Michigan's offense be- gan getting the better of the defense in another practice, defensive coordina- tor Jim Herrmann sought a stopper. "I guess the coaches thought they were saying 'Bruiser,'" Mayes re- called, laughing. "Coach Herrmann was going down the line saying, 'Who wants to hit? Who wants to tackle? Nobody wants to hit!' He turns and looks at me and says, 'Dammit! Bruiser, get in there!'" Mayes wound up enjoying the spring practice of his life, making play after play. He remained a long way from the U-M lineup, but by 1995 he led the squad in special teams tackles. In '96, he backed up two-time All-American inside line- backer Jarrett Irons. Then came the spring of 1997. Irons was gone, and Mayes thought he saw a clear path to a starting job. He went to peek at the master depth chart in the full team meeting room. "I'm still at two, behind this line- backer who looked like Pepper John- son," Mayes noted. "I'm like, 'I'm still not starting!'" The other linebacker, recruited from the South, happened to over- sleep the night before the first spring practice session. "He walks into the meeting room the first day of spring when Lloyd is already at the podium," Mayes said. "Lloyd looks over at him and he says, 'Hey! Wherever you were, you just go back there.'" Another linebacker slid over to Mayes' spot for the practice, figuring this marked his opportunity as well. Then it became a game of chicken. "At one point, we're standing at the huddle, and the first offense is coming out to the field. They call out the first defense, and we've got three inside linebackers," Mayes noted. "Coach Herrmann is like, 'Dammit! Only two of you out there!' He didn't say which guy. "The offense is getting closer, and I'm like, man, they're going to have to drag me off the field this time. I'm not going anywhere. The guy looks at me, and he just runs off, right before they snap the ball. From that moment on, I'm running with the first team. You talk about the stars aligning …" Mayes didn't just become the starter. They voted him Michigan's defensive captain, in a lineup that featured Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson plus other defen- sive stalwarts like linebacker Sam Sword and safety Marcus Ray. He recorded 14 tackles in Michi- gan's 21-14 win over Notre Dame early in the season, preserving a vic- tory that helped the Wolverines post a 12-0 national championship season. Two games later, he tore up a knee on the fourth play against Indiana. Mayes' playing days came to a sud- den, shocking end. His leadership efforts didn't. Mayes limped his way into the halftime locker room in the comeback win over Iowa, turning heads with his presence. Mich- igan staffers told him they'd commit him to the hospital if he tried to show up at Michigan State for the next game. Mayes never stopped exhorting, pushing and prodding his teammates. One classic '97 photo depicts him with the Big Ten championship trophy. "That picture, to me, epitomizes the struggle for that team, and my personal triumph as a captain of that team, still being able to celebrate that team award," he said. The Wolverines, of course, won the national title, and Mayes began seeking other worlds to conquer. He earned a master 's degree in educa- tional technology from Michigan be- fore going on to get his Ph.D. from Howard University. Mayes earned a post-doctorate mas- ter's degree from Harvard in educa- tion policy and management, and is on the teaching staff at Johns Hopkins University, where he also coached football for teams that went 22-2. He's serving this fall as a quality control coach at Central Michigan University while teaching online classes for Johns Hopkins. Michigan, he insists, proved his springboard. "It was a transformative experi- ence," Mayes said. "All the schools I've gone to have been transforma- tive. Michigan was transformative. It gave me my base, my foundation, to see the world, to feel the belief those guys gave me. The entire experience was a crucible moment." ❏ Michigan Accomplishments: Captain of the 1997 national championship U‑M squad … Posted 46 career tackles, including a high of 14 in a crucial win over Notre Dame in '97 … Accompanied the Wolverines to the White House follow‑ ing the national title season … Helped with the team in 1998 while earning his master's degree. Professional Accomplishments: Worked as an associate director of the Merrill‑ Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University in Detroit … Served as a high school technology teacher and linebacker coach in Detroit … On the faculty at Johns Hopkins University … Works as a quality control staffer for Central Michi‑ gan's football squad … Also is a professional speaker that lectures nationally on leadership and learning. Michigan Memory: "It's getting the Big Ten trophy and being carried off the field by my teammates, holding it. That moment, immortalized in that picture above the Michigan weight room, and that's in Michigan Stadium, with a fist in the air, is the moment for me." Education: Earned undergrad and graduate degrees from Michigan, including a master's degree in educational technology … Secured a Ph.D. in educational psychology at Howard University … Garnered a master's in educational policy and management at Harvard University. Family: Mayes and his wife, Winter, have two children: son AmenRa, 11, and daughter NurRa, 9. The Eric Mayes File Mayes logged 46 career tackles, including a career-high 14 in a crucial win over Notre Dame in 1997. PHOTO COURTESY ERIC MAYES