The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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32 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2017 so fast, I knew he was going to make a play. He was going to affect what the offense was trying to do. "He'd get up there and show dis- guises on his own, do things to free up other players, because they were paying attention to him. I saw the development of all that, making the players around him better. "I was like, 'Dang! At this young an age?'" ALL GROWN UP Bush Sr. made his own college choice, and was determined his son would do the same. Midway through high school, it was obvious that Bush Jr. wouldn't lack options. One of them became Michigan, certainly an intriguing one for a Flo- ridian with no particular ties in the North. The son always demonstrated a mind of his own, and that was okay. "I didn't want him to feel any obli- gation or pressure to do what I did," Bush Sr. said. "I explained to him, 'I chose Florida State because it was for me. I had to play there, nobody else.' "I didn't know the pressures he may have felt, coming behind me. I just wanted to remove myself and let it be his process, let it be about Devin Bush Jr. and not Devin Bush Sr. It was his time, not mine." The elder Bush saw what Har- baugh had been cooking over the years, making his son's interest in Michigan compelling. "I didn't know Jim Harbaugh, but I always watched what he did from afar at Stanford," Bush Sr. said. "He put Stanford on the map. Back in my day, there was no Stanford on the map. "When I heard Stanford was doing something, I wanted to know who the heck's over there coaching. When I looked, it was Coach Harbaugh. "I'm thinking there must be some real development going on over there." Bush Sr. understands player de- velopment. He became a Super Bowl champion behind a once-lightly re- garded QB. "I've played with guys like Kurt Warner," Bush Sr. said. "Nobody wanted this guy. For me, I'm a fan of that. "Coach Harbaugh ends up going to the 49ers, and these guys win right away, make the NFC championship game, make the Super Bowl. This guy really has a touch. He's a winner. He can develop players. I was just a fan of him and his winning ways. "There's nothing better than win- ning, I don't care what anybody says. Everything we do is about winning." His son chose Michigan and began making an immediate impact as a true freshman on special teams. His speed and hitting ability became no- ticeable to all, and turned into even bigger news this fall when he moved into a starting linebacker spot. His teammates hold little back in their effusiveness for his approach. "He's fast," junior safety Tyree Kinnel said. "He gets to the ball hard. He's one of our leaders in the middle. He makes checks with the D-line, and he's looking back and making checks with the secondary as well. "He gets us lined up. Devin Bush is really good, and he's going to keep getting better throughout the year." McCray said he bonded quickly with the Bush Jr., despite their age difference. McCray appreciates his competitiveness and imitates Bush's pass-rush moves, while throwing some of his own wisdom toward the younger linebacker. "Our relationship off the field carries over on the field," he said. Through the first six games, Bush ranked second on the team in sacks (4.5) and quarterback hurries (four), while he tied for third in tackles for loss (5.5). He had also forced a fumble. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN