Michigan football great Desmond Howard answered questions from reporters Thursday. This was part of a teleconference where Howard was previewing his introduction into the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
During the interview Howard discussed whether or not his #21 jersey should be retired, his Heisman trophy, U-M’s current QB Denard Robinson, what it meant to him being a Wolverine, and Michigan’s 1990 loss to Michigan State.
Here are some highlights taken from the interview according to Kevin Bull of the Detroit Free Press…
• On whether he has been part of talks to retire his jersey: “No, there have not been any official conversations about that. There have been people who joked about it … several times. But I have not had any official conversation about having my jersey retired.”
• On whether it is time for his jersey to be retired, and the jersey of fellow Heisman winner Charles Woodson: “Yeah, I believe it’s time, without a shadow of a doubt. It’s just a huge honor. For what I do, traveling around (as an ESPN analyst), I see a lot of players at other schools with jerseys retired who have not accomplished what Woodson and I have. Oklahoma even has wooden statues; Florida has statues.”
• On whether he thinks it might happen soon: “We’re moving in that direction. Just like you don’t rely on an old stadium, you update your stadium, and you keep up with the competition.”
• On whether he would be in a Heisman pose if U-M ever constructed a statue of him: “That’s a good question. That would probably be the easiest one to make, but that Notre Dame catch, that’s a pretty nice one, too. I just don’t know how they’d do it. How would you suspend me in the air like that? Would have to be very creative.”
• On whether it’s hard to believe it has been 20 years since his Heisman season: “Yes, it is. Especially when look in the mirror — I don’t look 20 years older. I feel like it was yesterday.”
• On what it means to be a Michigan Man from Ohio: “Means a lot to us, because we really understand the depths of the rivalry and what it means to be in that state and be around those people and have to compete and then go home. It means a lot to us.”
• On what his induction means: “It’s not being acknowledged for a game or acknowledged for season, it’s for a whole body of work, and that speaks volumes. … It’s never about individualism. It’s all about team. So I never had goals about being an All-American or the Heisman Trophy. The Hall of Fame was never even on my radar. I’m adding another Michigan football player to the College Football Hall of Fame. I hope my teammates understand that this is something we accomplished together. They were a part of it, too.”
• On whether he believes Robinson can adjust to U-M’s new pro-style offense: “I have the utmost confidence that Denard is going to do well in this offense. I have confidence in Denard as a serious athlete and coach (Al) Borges as offensive coordinator who knows how to use the strengths of his players. I spoke with Denard during spring football. The most complicating part for Denard is getting the footwork down. Once he does that, he will be fine. He can throw the ball. A lot of people in the media just think about his speed, but there’s much more to that.”
• On whether there will be a shift in the programs at Ohio State and Michigan: “They’re cyclical. There are peaks and valleys. We are pretty much coming out of the dark ages of Michigan football, from what was experienced the last three seasons. … What you are seeing out of the recruiting speaks volumes to what we are seeing with a shift.”
• On who has a better smile, Robinson or Howard: “Oh, man. I have to say Denard. He has a younger, fresher smile. You’ve seen mine for years now.”
• On whether the 1990 loss to Michigan State, during which pass interference was not called on a last-second two-point conversation, still bothers him: “No, it is what it is. The guy cheated, and (MSU cornerback Eddie Brown) got away with cheating. It’s a lesson that I hope people understand. It was a play that was allowed that shouldn’t have been allowed.”
Source: Detroit Free Press