Michigan finished as Big Ten champions (8-0) and ranked No. 4 in the nation with an 11-1 overall record. The Wolverines' lone loss that season occurred in the Rose Bowl against Stanford 13-12 on a field goal with 12 seconds left in the game.
Overall, 16 players from the state of Michigan started at one time or another for the 1971 Wolverine squad. Offensively, Michigan had two quarterbacks start throughout the year, with sophomore Tom Slade (6-1, 200, Saginaw) earning the nod eight times, while fellow sophomore Kevin Casey (6-2, 175, Grand Rapids Catholic Central) started four contests. Sophomore Bob Thornbladh (6-2, 225, Plymouth) started at fullback. At wide receiver, senior Glenn Doughty (6-2, 205, Detroit Pershing) started, while sophomore Paul Seal (6-6, 210, Detroit Pershing) and junior Paul Seymour (6-5, 230, Royal Oak Shrine) started at tight end for the Maize and Blue. Along the offensive line, All-American senior guard Reggie McKenzie (6-4, 235, Highland Park), senior tackle Jim Brandstatter (6-4, 245, East Lansing) and junior tackle Tom Poplawski (6-4, 225, Warren Mott) started for Michigan. Thornbladh, Doughty, Seal, Seymour and McKenzie all went on to play in the NFL.
Defensively, starting up front for the Wolverines were senior end Alden "Butch" Carpenter (6-2, 215, Flint Southwestern), senior tackle Thomas Beckman (6-5, 245, Chesaning), junior tackle Fred Grambau (6-3, 235, Alpena) and All-American senior end Mike Keller (6-3, 220, Grand Rapids Catholic Central). Starting at linebacker were All-American Mike Taylor (6-2, 225, Detroit King) and senior Dana Coin (6-1, 230, Pontiac Northern). In the secondary, junior Randy Logan (6-2, 190, Detroit Northern) started for Michigan. Beckman, Keller, Taylor (first round pick) and Logan all later played in the NFL.
On special teams, Coin starred as a placekicker, booting an NCAA record 55-of-55 PATs for the Wolverines.
It's incredible to me the impact kids from the state of Michigan have had on the building of the Wolverine football program. I think it sometimes gets lost nationally when pundits and commentators from around the nation analyze the Maize and Blue team and its history. Just a quick look at a random squad from U-M's history reinforces my belief the Wolverines' success throughout the years has been built on the strong and sturdy backs of kids from the Great Lakes State.
Also, in doing my brief research on the 1971 Wolverine team, I decided to take a look at the Notre Dame and Michigan State squads from that same year. The "Big Three" as I call them for players from the state of Michigan over the decades, it's mind-boggling the impact and talent each of those schools had during that one season from kids from the Great Lakes State. For the Spartans, future Pro Football Hall-of-Famer guard Joe DeLamielleure (Center Line St. Clement) and future NFL Pro Bowler defensive back/linebacker Brad Van Pelt (Owosso) led the Green and White. For the Fighting Irish, defensive back Clarence Ellis (Grand Rapids Central) and defensive tackles Mike Kadish (Grand Rapids Catholic Central) and Greg Marx (Detroit Catholic Central) starred for Notre Dame. Ellis and Kadish would both later become first round NFL draft picks, while Marx was a second round pick. All three also would earn Playboy Magazine All-American honors.
Did anyone notice all the players from Grand Rapids Catholic Central? Yes youngsters, the Cougars have been a strong program for decades. Michigan signee Jalen Mayfield (6-5, 255 DE-OT, Grand Rapids Catholic Central) one of the top recruits in the nation for the class of 2018, is just the latest in a long line of big-time players from the Grand Rapids powerhouse program.
Nationally, other Michiganders earning All-American honors in 1971 included Hillsdale placekicker Chester Marcol (Imlay City) and Colorado defensive lineman Herb Orvis (Flint Beecher). Marcol would go on to become a legendary and beloved Green Bay Packers kicker, while Orvis would become a first round draft pick and play 10 seasons in the NFL.
McKenzie, Van Pelt and Orvis would later all become enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. In the 1972 NFL draft, four of the 26 first round selections were kids from the state of Michigan (Ellis-15th to the Falcons, Orvis-16th to the Lions, Taylor-20th to the Jets and Kadish-25th to the Dolphins).
Anyhow, I just thought it was amazing how much talent the state of Michigan produced during that one 1971 college football season at those three programs and throughout the nation. Just another testament to the ridiculous amount of high school football talent churned out for decades each and every season in the Great Lakes State.
In upcoming blogs, I'll start listing my position-by-position rankings for the class of 2019 and the top underclassmen in the state of Michigan.
