The Michigan Wolverines have four figures who will be enshrined into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame this fall – former head coach Jim Harbaugh, wide receiver Braylon Edwards, linebacker Larry Foote and Jake Long.
The ceremony will take place on Oct. 17 at the Soundboard Theater at MotorCity Casino Hotel. Other enshrinees include Tony Esposito, Cecil Fielder, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, Deanna Nolan, Shawn Respert, Don Shane and Ken Holland.
“The Hall of Fame was organized in 1954 by Lt. Governor Philip A. Hart, Michigan State University Athletic Director Biggie Munn, Donald Weeks, President of the Greater Michigan Foundation, W. Nicholas Kerbawy, General Manager of the Detroit Lions and George Alderton of the Lansing State Journal who conceived of the project,” the MSHOF website states. “It is believed to be the oldest State Sports Hall of Fame in the United States, having elected its inaugural Class in 1955.
“The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame Induction Classes are made up of memorable contributors from multiple sports that have achieved prominence and represented their teams, schools and the State of Michigan.”
Here is more background on Michigan’s four enshrinees.
Wide receiver Braylon Edwards (2001-04)
Edwards, a Detroit native, recorded 252 receptions for 3,541 yards and 39 touchdowns in his storied career at Michigan, earning All-Big Ten honors three times and a 2004 season that saw him grab Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Big Ten Most Valuable Player, Unanimous All-American honors, the Paul Warfield Trophy and the Biletnikoff Award. He followed it up by becoming the No. 3 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. He also played for the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.
Linebacker Larry Foote (1998-2001)
Foote started 28-of-48 games in his Michigan career, recording 212 tackles, 11 sacks and 53 tackles for loss, earning All-Big Ten first-team honors in 2000 as a junior. During the 2001 season, Foote was a first-team All-American by Football News and a first-team All-Big Ten honoree, winning the Roger Zatkoff award given to the team’s best linebacker.
He enjoyed a 13-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh (2015-23)
Harbaugh will head into the MSHOF as a coach after a nine-year run in Ann Arbor leading the Michigan football program. He went 86-25 during his return to his alma mater, capped off by a 37-3 run to close out his tenure and a 15-0 campaign that ended with a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2023 and three-straight Big Ten Championships. Harbaugh’s teams won at least 10 games in 6 of 9 seasons on the job and won 12-plus games each of the last three seasons. The only years Michigan failed to hit that mark was 2017 (8-5), 2019 (9-4) and 2020 (2-6, COVID season).
Offensive tackle Jake Long (2003-07)
The Lapeer native redshirted his first season before becoming a stalwart on the offensive line at left tackle. He was second-team All-Big Ten in 2004 and first-team All-Big Ten during the 2006-07 seasons, also winning the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award both seasons and All-American nods. Long’s college career led him to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft of the Miami Dolphins. He also played for the St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings.
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