BLUE PRINT
The leaders and best, on Saturdays and long after.
Notable Alumni
There are six retired football jerseys representing eight Michigan football greats.
Each earned All-America first team honors, an accomplishment that has never been duplicated at any level of intercollegiate competition. All three are enshrined in the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame and the Michigan Hall of Honor.
Raced his way to the 1991 Heisman Trophy, capped by a 93-yard punt return against Ohio State. A member of four Big Ten champion teams with 134 catches for 2,146 yards and 32 touchdowns.
A three-time All-American in football, two-time All-American in basketball and Big Ten batting champion in baseball. Turned down pro offers to coach, leading Michigan to the 1948 national championship.
The 38th President of the United States was a three-year letterman (1932-34) and a member of the 1932 and 1933 national championship teams. Team MVP in 1934; the University’s School of Public Policy bears his name.
A two-time consensus All-American (1955-56) and three-time All-Big Ten first team selection. The Green Bay Packers All-Pro tight end was a nine-time letterman in football, basketball and track.
One of the greatest athletes in school history: 2,134 rushing yards, 33 touchdowns and 237 career points. A WWII pilot who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, then became one of the nation’s top sportscasters.
135+ families
Michigan boasts a tremendous legacy of family donning the winged helmet. Over 135 sets of brothers or father-sons have lettered for the Michigan Football program over the years.
The most famous set of brothers at Michigan were Albert, Alvin and Francis Wistert, all of whom were named All-Americans. In their honor, the jersey No. 11 that each of the brothers wore was retired. The legacy wall was established in 2024 and was a gift by The Harbaugh Family.
Since 1817
The University of Michigan was founded in Detroit in 1817 bearing the name “Catholepistemiad.” When Michigan became a state in 1837, the first legislature renamed the institution “The University of Michigan.” When the citizens of Ann Arbor donated 40 acres of land, the University relocated here, opening its doors to seven students in 1841. The original 40 acres (now the “Diag”) still mark the center of campus.
A Michigan degree connects every Wolverine to one of the most respected universities in the world and an alumni network that spans every field.
Since 1921
The M Club of Greater Detroit has more than a hundred years of history with the Michigan Football program. This group has presented the senior football players with the coveted M Rings since 1921.
This tradition is only given to members of the football program; no other sport at the school receives these rings.