Former University of Michigan coaching legend Bo
Schembechler may or may not have been a student of the existentialist Soren Kierkegaard, Sigmund
Freud, or other great thinkers of human nature . In short, Kierkegaard wrote about the anxiety of man, character, transcendence and the
difficulty in becoming authentic. While Freud wrote about man’s personality
development and character that essentially helps him develop strategies for dealing
with his anxiety by employing defenses (denial, repression, reaction
information, etc.) in order to distort reality. And, in the process,
psychoanalysis helps man to understand his self-emotions, impulses, memories,
capacities, potentialities, etc.
In December of 1968, Bo was hired to coach the University of
Michigan football. So what did Bo do to begin his University of Michigan
coaching in early 1969? In essence, he created additional stress and anxiety
for his inherited (Bump Elliott’s recruits) but talented football athletes. He
wanted to trim down the number of players coming out for practice. He wanted
only the strongest mentally and physically. He did that by creating and imposing unheard
of conditioning drills that were physical and some would say disrespected the
individual. These drills were intense and challenged not only one’s body, but
one’s mind. I doubt that any of the players, at first, understood what some
called his madness. They had no idea what he was doing, and in fact many of
them quit the team.
In fact, he might’ve been concerned, about the number of
players leaving the team, since he put up the sign “Those That Stay Will Be
Champions.” And then, the Pru man added to the sign “Those That Leave Will Be
Doctors and Lawyers and Captains of Industry.” Bo understood that he created a
test, and that those who passed were his boys. The players that stayed were
able to deal with the additional stress and anxiety by creating and developing
their own personality. In fact, Frank Gusich thought, and/or rationalized,
something to the effect that “these brutal practice conditions are so unique
that our team will be in better condition in the fourth quarter than those
other teams.” Bo created the “survival of his fittest”
Further, as a result of his military experience, Bo was
aware that soldiers, in foxholes, in war conditions dealt with stress and death
by bonding together. The term band of brothers fits here. So, I believe that Bo
Schembechler knew he was creating a team and his coaching methods exemplified
that. He reinforced that team concept over and over. If you don’t believe me,
just ask his warriors.
“This is a unique look
at the world of college football in the late 60s and early 70s as told by some
of my teammates and coaches at the University of Michigan.
We were so fortunate to
be a part of something special that happened over 40 years ago, but still
resonates today. A good read!
Go Blue! Dan
Dierdorf June 2014
Triumph Books is publishing Bo’s Warriors and is
scheduled to be released this fall.
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