Bo Schembechler's Warriors

Well I have good news. Last week I signed a contract with Triumph Books to publish my manuscript titled “Bo’s Warriors” I am very pleased to say the least. Triumph books publishing company is a leader in the sports world. And I am happy to be on their team.

My book is about sports, life, motivation, mental toughness and my philosophy. Some 45 years ago, in 1969, a miracle , many would say, happened on the turf at the Big House on that cold November Saturday when the Michigan Wolverines football team beat the heavily favored number one -ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes. Coach Bo Schembechler and position coach Gary Moeller in their first year bested Bo’s mentor Woody Hayes. Thus, the infamous 10 year war began. Bo’s Warriors is an in-depth view of the secrets behind the success of Bo’s Wolverines.

This is how the transition of Wolverine football began. Newly appointed athletic director Don Canham hired Bo Schembechler. That was significant in part because Canham knew that Bo would bring in diverse racially talented athletes. So the interracial base of Michigan football, was firmly established. Coach Schembechler then embraced his racially diverse group of young men and established the cohesiveness of the team, the team, the team. He taught his players that they could not be divided because they were all one and part of the University of Michigan football team. As a team captain senior, football legend, an All-American. Jim Mandich took it upon himself and made sure the entire team partied together.

This 1969 team had a 3-2 record after its first five games. The sixth game, in fact, at halftime. The Wolverines trailed the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The intense, excitable, type A personality coach did not scream, and his warriors. Instead, he calmly told them they were the better team and not to lose the opportunity. The players do not lose the opportunity. For that game and the next 24 games(10 game season), their record was 24 wins and one loss. The miracle and transition was established on the last game of that 1969 season. Michigan 24-Ohio State University, 12.

For more insight, secrets of Wolverine success and player and coach histories enjoy the details of the eight Michigan Wolverines (Coach Gary Moeller, Jim Brandstatter, Fritz Seyferth, Jim Betts, Reggie McKenzie, Tom Curtis, Thom Darden and Mike Keller).

Some benefits of reading Bo’s Warriors include the following:

1.       How Bo created winning football

2.     learn about the mental toughness of successful men

3.       learn about how the University of Michigan experience changed(impacted) lives

4.       learn about the positives of playing the brutal game of football

5.       Challenge the “dumb jock” stereotype of football players

6.       learn how racial differences got mitigated for the Wolverines

7.       Learn about the lives of nine successful men

8.      learn about the relevance of 1969 to today

More to follow on subsequent posts. In the meantime, keep moving, laughing, smiling, loving, bonding and appreciating.