Michigan football Spring Trip: Reflections after five days with the Wolverines in New York and Washington
WASHINGTON, D.C. — There was a moment at the Lincoln Memorial when I pulled Michigan football freshman Fred Moore aside for a quick interview and asked if he too was exhausted and ready to go home.
“Nah, I’m not tired,” he replied, nodding toward the National Mall before us. “Knowledge is power.”
It was a great answer (and a reminder that I should probably quit complaining), and it helped put the entire trip into context. This wasn’t the sun-and-fun vacation of July 2022, which featured days by the pool and at the beach. It was much more educational, and a special occasion for many who were experiencing some of our nation’s biggest landmarks for the first time.
The Wolverines spent seven days on their spring trip — most of it in the capital, sandwiched between shorter stops in New York City and Ohio. Their agenda was impressive, even on paper:
The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, a bus tour of New York, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the International Spy Museum, the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, a Washington Nationals game, Arlington National Cemetery, additional D.C.-area museums, a night tour of the National Mall, Gettysburg, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. If it already seems like a lot, know the list is incomplete, because players had additional learning opportunities available to them, plus speakers at many of their meals.
On the topic of meals: I had a great conversation with Abigail O’Connor, the team's Director of Football Performance Nutrition, about the planning necessary to feed a group of 120-plus football players. It was an endeavor months in the making, and she (plus the rest of the support staff and the affiliated travel agency) deserve credit for their behind-the-scenes organization.
While a week’s vacation in early May probably won’t win football games in November, it’s another point for Jim Harbaugh’s argument that Michigan football should be and is “transformational” rather than just transactional.
As the NCAA so eloquently reminds us, most collegiate athletes go pro in something other than sports. Michigan football players have better odds than many, but experiencing the floor at the New York Stock Exchange, walking the U.S. Capitol on a tour led by State Representatives and dining with business executives can help open the door (or create interest in) different career paths.
It was particularly impressive to see Michigan players and coaches asking tough questions — from inquiring about the representation in statues in the U.S. Capitol to debating the monuments at Gettysburg — just as it was memorable to see J.J. McCarthy, Cornelius Johnson, Rod Moore and Mike Barrett take seriously their roles in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
At the National Museum of African American History and Culture, several U-M players and coaches watched a documentary about Black athletes in the NFL with a photo of Desmond Howard striking the Heisman pose featured prominently on the wall beside them. The significance of Michigan’s role in U.S. history was felt there, as at Gettysburg, as at the World War II Memorial, as at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
Not every player enjoyed every stop, but I’d gather they all gained something lasting from at least one of them.
The trip was also a rare chance for someone who works outside the program to spend days of unfiltered time with players and coaches. Michigan typically doesn’t provide as much press access as other schools, and this week was a rare exception.
The relationships formed through interacting with Michigan football in a different context — i.e. outside of athletics, and having normal conversations rather than formal press conferences — will shape and improve our coverage for the rest of the year.
Finally: During a typical football game, a few dozen Michigan players see the field. The spring trip served as a reminder of just how many people contribute to the program’s success on fall Saturdays — and what those people are like off the football field.
There was the chance to see Jim Harbaugh as a dad rather than just as the head football coach. There was Kris Jenkins looking ecstatic beyond belief to be shown on the Nationals Park video board, as if he’s not on national TV multiple times a year. There were games of shadow boxing on the team bus, and moments of individual reflection at tombstones.
That all matters, too.
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Thanks for reading The Michigan Insider! We’ll have much more content from this trip in the coming days. The Wolverines will return to Ann Arbor later this week, and they’ll have some time off before preparations for 2023 begin in earnest.
