Bo's Warriors and Western States 100

Bo’s Warriors exemplifies Bo Schembechler’s transforming the historic University of Michigan football program into his own identity .This book also illustrates  the  evolution that took place among each of the players profiled (Mike Keller- All-American, College All-Star Game,  Dallas Cowboy, COO of the Football League of America ; Frank Gusich-Wolfman and called Superman by the press; Fritz Seyferth-  , scored four touchdowns against the Minnesota Gophers, ranked third in Big Ten conference in scoring, 21 years in the Michigan Athletic Department, Calgary Stampeders ; Thom Darden-All-American, All Pro, interception leader of the Cleveland Browns; Jim Betts-  Meyer Morton Trophy Award, Blue -Gray All-Star game drafted by the New York Jets; Tom Curtis-Michigan record holder for interceptions, two Super Bowl rings, publisher; Jim Brandstatter, All Big Ten, elected to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, award-winning American sportscaster, best-selling author ; and Reggie McKenzie-All-American, All NFL, Reggie McKenzie Foundation) along with position coach Gary Moeller-defensive coordinator, college and NFL head coach. You’ll marvel at their lifelong journey of success and how each overcame failure moments.

Bo’s Warriors reveals Bo’s “secret” formula for success and highlights what the press called “The 10 Year War” between Bo Schembechler’s, Michigan’s Wolverines and his mentor legend Woody Hayes’ Ohio State Buckeyes-starting with their 1969 big game. Don’t forget that Bo inherited players, recruited by former Michigan All-American, Rose Bowl hero and Rose Bowl winner head coach Bump Elliott.

No doubt that Bo inherited an exceptional group of talented athletes from diverse racial backgrounds. He called Bump’s recruits” country club mentality “and then molded them into his mentally and physically tough Michigan football “survival of the fittest” battleground. It became clear that the sum of the individual players and coaches became the whole. How Bo accomplished this miraculous feat is a major part of the story. Another element of the story is that the players initially disliked, to put it mildly, Bo but later came to love him. In turn, the symbiotic- synergistic relationship between Bo and his team resulted in Bo becoming a legend and his players taken to heights they never contemplated before.

Learn about how these players from rural and urban environments blended together and in the process, became “ Michigan men.”, and one for all(the team) and  all, for one (the team).

Some of the questions raised and answered in Bo’s Warriors include the following: 1. Why did Michigan athletic director Don Canham remove Bump and hire Bo? 2. What was Bo’s secret formula for success? 3. How did Bo’s team become mentally and physically tough? 4. Why was Bo’s success also, his weakness? 5. How did that 1969 Michigan football team upset the heavily favored number one team in the country, Woody’s greatest team the Ohio State Buckeyes? 6. How did playing for Bo affect and influence the long term personality style of each of his warriors? 7. How relevant are Bo’s life teaching methods and techniques for today’s warriors? 8. Why should” mental toughness” be taught and learned?

PS

Don’t forget that the Western States 100 mile ultra-run is this Saturday. I wish all the runners good luck. Some will be moving faster than others, but they’ll be moving.