Tecmo Super Bowl rosters

If you're anything like me, you grew up in the era of NES, Super Nintendo, etc. The other day I was talking to a friend about NES, and it brought back fond memories of Tecmo Super Bowl. Below, you'll find the rosters of all the teams in the 1991 edition, including some modern coaches (Ron Rivera, Mike Mularkey, Gary Kubiak, etc.), some former Michigan players (Jim Harbaugh, Leroy Hoard, Jumbo Elliott, etc.), a guy I despise (Matt Millen), and some all-time greats (Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Lawrence Taylor, Scott Mitchell).

Hit the jump for the team-by-team rosters.

ESPN: Taking notice of the hidden injury

This article by Nicole Noren discusses depression and emotional problems in college football, and it features former Michigan defensive lineman Will Heininger.

Hit the jump for Avril Mathie in a tight red dress.

Who's left in the 2014 recruiting class?

The Southfield trio of Ray Buford, Lawrence Marshall, and Malik McDowell

This is that crazy (and awkward) time of year when high school seniors get grown men's hearts pumping. There will probably be little fanfare for Michigan on National Signing Day, which is on Wednesday. The thought is that Michigan is trying to get defensive end Malik McDowell, and they'll bank the scholarship for next year if that doesn't work. So the guys on this list won't be picking Michigan, but I'll still be interested to see how they pan out over the next several years.

Lorenzo Carter - DE - Norcross (GA) Norcross: The #18 player nationally, according to the 247 Composite, is leaning toward Georgia with the Bulldogs receiving the final official visit. Unless something crazy happens, I think he ends up a Bulldog.

Malachi Dupre - WR - New Orleans (LA) John Curtis: One spot ahead of Carter in the national rankings, Dupre has had LSU as his leader for a long time. UCLA received the final visit of his recruitment, but the thought is that he will end up in Baton Rouge playing for the Mad Hatter.

Adoree' Jackson - CB - Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra: The #7 player in the land appears to be leaning toward Florida, where he might be able to best pursue dreams of doing the triple jump in the Olympics. USC is the likely second option.

Roderick Johnson - OT - Florissant (MO) Hazelwood Central: The #125 player has been expected to end up at Florida State for a long time, but Ohio State got a visit a couple weeks ago. It would be quite an upset if Johnson committed to the Buckeyes, who may lose offensive lineman Jamarco Jones to Michigan State.

Malik McDowell - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield: The #32 overall player was a Michigan lean early, but now it seems like he's favoring Michigan State. An uncle wants him to go to Florida State, and Urban Meyer really, really wants him in Columbus. Nobody really knows where he'll pick to go, but chances are dimming for the Wolverines. I think it's a Michigan-MSU battle because either the kid or the parents should win out.

Mattrell McGraw - S - New Orleans (LA) John Curtis: A teammate of Dupre's, the #362 player overall has been rumored to be heading to Oregon for a while. Texas A&M also has a chance.

Steven Parker - S - Jenks (OK) Jenks: The #108 player nationally has been a supposed Oklahoma lock for a long time, despite taking several other visits and expressing interest in others. His final official visit took place this past weekend when he traveled to Auburn.

Damian Prince - OT - District Heights (MD) Bishop McNamara: Prince, a 5-star and the #27 overall player, was thought to be headed to Florida State for a while. However, the Seminoles have fallen off his list, and now it appears to be a two-horse race between Florida and Maryland. His best friend, Jalen Tabor, flipped from Arizona to Florida at the beginning of January, and that may be the push he needs to end up in Gainesville.

Lamont Simmons - CB - Jacksonville (FL) Raines: Simmons is the #970 player overall, but he has an excellent offer list and has taken visits to Auburn, Arkansas, USC, and Penn State over the past two months, with a visit to State College this past weekend. Despite getting the most recent visit, the Trojans will likely get his NLI.

Braden Smith - OG - Olathe (KS) North: Smith is the #63 player overall, and I think he should probably be ranked even higher. Smith doesn't like to talk about recruiting, so he's been difficult to read throughout the process. He visited Michigan last summer and removed the Wolverines from his list immediately. Now the thought is that he'll end up at TCU, which is a somewhat odd choice for such a highly touted recruit. Auburn and Texas A&M also have a shot.

John Smith - S - Long Beach (CA) Poly: The #20 player in the country was looking around when Lane Kiffin was the head coach at USC, despite the fact that he appeared to want to wear a Trojans uniform all along. After Kiffin got fired, USC immediately jumped to the top of his list, according to recruiting gurus. It would be a surprise if he picked Notre Dame, Oregon, or UCLA.

Solomon Thomas - DE - Coppell (TX) Coppell: The country's #25 prospect, Thomas has kind of been all over the place throughout the recruiting process, seeming at times to be headed to Ohio State and Texas. Now he seems likely to end up at Stanford with UCLA having an outside shot.

Denzel Ward - OT - Chicago (IL) Simeon: The #649 player nationally has been all over the place with his recruitment. He has been committed to both Michigan and Purdue, and he moved from Illinois to Florida to a different school in Illinois. The most recent buzz I heard had him likely committing to Syracuse, but he has also visited South Florida and Vanderbilt in recent weeks. I think the coaching change at Vandy will keep him away from Tennessee, so it's the Orangemen vs. the Bulls.

Andrew Williams - DE - McDonough (GA) Eagle's Landing Christian: Williams, the #231 player in the country, has long been considered an Auburn lock, but he has taken visits to Clemson and Georgia in recent weeks. I think it's either Auburn or Georgia.

Richard Yeargin III - DE - Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School: The country's #266 player decommitted from Notre Dame a couple weeks ago, and it was clearly because he was favoring Clemson. Texas offered him a week ago, but he has not visited Austin, so he'll likely be picking the Tigers.

Kenny Young - LB - New Orleans (FL) John Curtis: Ranked #175 nationally, it looks like Young will probably pick UCLA over LSU and Texas A&M. With teammates Dupre and McGraw also making late decisions, it should be an interesting week at Curtis.

Recruiting Update: February 3, 2014

Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Devante Peete

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Warminster (PA) Archbishop Wood offensive tackle Ryan Bates was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 280 lb. prospect with offers from Maryland, Miami, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, and South Carolina, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #21 offensive tackle, and #225 overall. Bates looks to me like a right tackle or perhaps a guy who can slide inside to play guard. The in-state Nittany Lions seem to be a likely destination.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage cornerback Rashard Causey was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'0", 185 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame, and UCLA, among others. He's also a 247 Composite 3-star, the #34 cornerback, and #443 overall, but he has only been rated by 247 so far.

Avon (CT) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'6", 247 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Texas Tech, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #15 tight end, and the #422 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 39 catches for 417 yards and 6 touchdowns. Physically, he's well developed, and that might be because he's 18 years and 5 months old already, according to 247. He appears to be a solid prospect who won't amaze anyone with his speed or athleticism but would come in ready to play early. Perhaps most importantly, Clark attends the alma mater of blog favorite Michael Cox, who played at Michigan from 2008-2011.

Jefferson City (MO) Helias tight end Hale Hentges was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 230 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Florida State, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 tight end, and the #203 prospect overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 61 receptions for 945 yards and 9 touchdowns. He plans to visit Michigan for a spring practice. I have not seen video of Hentges to gauge whether I think he's better suited to play defense, but as a defensive end during his sophomore year, he had 62 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks.

Houston (TX) Cypress Falls defensive tackle Du'Vonta Lampkin was offered by Michigan, despite being committed to Oklahoma since November 2013. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #23 defensive tackle, and the #346 player overall. Michigan has recruited Cypress Falls in the past with 2014 LB Otaro Alaka (Texas A&M), but it's tough to pull kids out of Texas in general.

Lawrenceville (NJ) Prep offensive tackle Grant Newsome was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'7", 280 lb. prospect with offers from Miami, North Carolina, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, and Virginia, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #23 offensive tackle, and #235 overall. Newsome is agile and strong, and I think he looks like a left tackle at the next level.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Devante Peete was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'6", 200 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, and Ohio State, among many others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 wide receiver, and the #119 player overall in the 2015 class. As a junior in 2013, he had just 17 receptions but totaled 387 yards and 5 touchdowns. Peete is obviously a large target, but he lacks the leaping ability that I would expect from such an advanced prospect and does not run with the strength that one would expect from someone his size. However, he does have good speed, and perhaps at 6'6", a lack of leaping ability isn't a big issue. St. Thomas Aquinas has produced several Michigan targets - and successful college athletes - in recent years, including 2014 WR Corey Holmes (Notre Dame), 2013 DE Joey Bosa (Ohio State), 2011 OG Bobby Hart (Florida State), and 2010 DB Lamarcus Joyner (Florida State).

Memphis (TN) University School offensive tackle Drew Richmond was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 315 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, UCLA, and Vanderbilt, among many others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #8 offensive tackle, and #79 overall. He already looks like a college lineman, and I would peg him for right tackle or a guard position.

Missouri City (TX) Fort Bend Marshall cornerback Kendall Sheffield was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'0", 165 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Baylor, Florida, LSU, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He's a 247 Composite 5-star, the #2 cornerback, and the #12 overall player in the 2015 class. Sheffield claims a 4.4 forty and looks like a smooth cover man. Michigan offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier recruited Sheffield at Alabama and had extended the Tide's offer.

Scottsdale (AZ) Chaparral offensive tackle Keenan Walker was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'6", 250 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State, Texas A&M, UCLA, and USC, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 offensive tackle, and the #102 player overall. Walker attends the alma mater of former Michigan players Taylor Lewan and Craig Roh. In case you're wondering, the definition of "chaparral" is "vegetation consisting chiefly of tangled shrubs and thorny bushes." I had not heard the word other than in regard to recruiting until I read a GQ article about the Granite Mountain Hotshots' demise in an Arizona wildfire. The more you know.

Douglas (GA) Coffey tight end Jalen Wilkerson was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 227 lb. prospect with offers from Miami and Minnesota. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 tight end, and the #175 player overall. He has the build and skills of an H-back type of player, and his highlight film on Hudl is titled "The Chosen One," so at least we know he's being surrounded with humility.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Miami (FL) Gulliver Prep defensive end Joseph Jackson was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'6", 240 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Pitt, and UCF, among others. Jackson is a very raw prospect on both sides of the ball, but his athleticism is apparent. I think he could play tight end or defensive end at the next level.

MLive: Miss America on Michigan football

Okay, this isn't exactly great news, and Miss America might not be the world's foremost expert on things related to Michigan football. But I can't help throwing out this article where former Wolverine Nina Davuluri expresses her thoughts on the program.

Hit the jump for . . . wait for it . . . Nina Davuluri in a nice yellow dress.

Preview: Super Bowl XLVIII

The analysts and prognosticators on ESPN, Fox Sports 1, and wherever else are going to do a more in-depth job than I could ever do. And frankly, you're probably just ready for the game to begin and for everyone to stop whining about having to play/watch football in cold weather. But in TTB style, here's a look at the players in the Super Bowl with at least vague Michigan connections:

DENVER BRONCOS
Montee Ball - RB - Wisconsin
Aaron Brewer - LS - San Diego State#
David Bruton - S - Notre Dame
Marquice Cole - CB - Northwestern
Eric Decker - WR - Minnesota
Ronnie Hillman - RB - San Diego State#
Shaun Phillips - DE - Purdue
Inactive:
Mike Farrell - OT - Penn State
Rahim Moore - S - UCLA*
Jordan Norwood - WR - Penn State
Kevin Vickerson - DT - Michigan State









SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Cliff Avril - DE - Purdue
Kellen Davis - TE - Michigan State
Jordan Hill - DT - Penn State
Jermaine Kearse - WR - Washington**
Chris Maragos - S - Wisconsin
Michael Robinson - FB - Penn State
O'Brien Schofield - LB - Wisconsin
Golden Tate - WR - Notre Dame
Russell Wilson - QB - Wisconsin
Inactive:
B.J. Daniels - QB - South Florida*
Spencer Ware - FB - LSU*

*Recruited by Michigan
**Doug Nussmeier's leading receiver at Washington
#Played for Brady Hoke at San Diego State




I'm not a fan or enemy of either team, and the lack of direct Michigan connection makes me care not one whit who wins. Until now, because I'm going to pick the Broncos in a 20-17 game.

January Coach Visits

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Malik McDowell (#67) is Michigan's top target remaining in the 2014 class

Since January is such a popular month for college coaches to hit the road and recruit, here's a list of players who are expecting or have received visits this month.

2014
Ian Bunting - TE - Hinsdale (IL) Central*
Noah Furbush - LB - Kenton (OH) Kenton*
Jeff Jones - RB - Minneapolis (MN) Washburn*
Marlon Mack - RB - Sarasota (FL) Booker*
Malik McDowell - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield*
Jared Wangler - LB - Warren (MI) De La Salle*
Chase Winovich - LB - Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson*

2015
Blake Barnett - QB - Corona (CA) Santiago*
Jake Browning - QB - Folsom (CA) Folsom
Nick Johns - QB - Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Kyle Kearns - QB - Pleasanton (CA) Foothill
Brian Lewerke - QB - Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle
Alex Malzone - QB - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice
Josh Rosen - QB - Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco*
David Sills - QB - Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy*
Jarrett Stidham - QB - Stephenville (TX) Stephenville*
Ricky Town - QB - Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure
Ryan Willis - QB - Mission (KS) Bishop Miege
Brandon Wimbush - QB - Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep
Andrew Dowell - RB - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Johnny Frasier - RB - Princeton (NC) Princeton*
Damien Harris - RB - Berea (KY) Madison Southern*
Soso Jamabo - RB - Plano (TX) West*
Ronald Jones II - RB - McKinney (TX) North
Kentrail Moran - RB - O'Fallon (KY) O'Fallon
Jacques Patrick - RB - Orlando (FL) Timber Ridge*
Mike Weber - RB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech*
George Campbell - WR - Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake*
Irvin Charles - WR - Haddonfield (NJ) Paul VI
Brian Cole - WR - Saginaw (MI) Heritage*
David Dowell - WR - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Tyron Johnson - WR - New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton*
Christian Kirk - WR - Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro*
Kai Locksley - WR - Baltimore (MD) Gilman
Damarkus Lodge - WR - Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill*
Juval Mollette - WR - Randleman (NC) Randleman*
Stanley Norman - WR - Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra
Kemah Siverand - WR - Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge
Bowman Archibald - TE - Dade City (FL) Pasco
Chris Clark - TE - Avon (CT) Old Farms
Austin Ervin - TE - St. Johns (MI) St. Johns
Jackson Harrison - TE - Columbia (TN) Central
Tyler Petite - TE - Moraga (CA) Campolindo
Anthony Rush - TE - Cary (NC) Cary
Jalen Wilkerson - TE - Douglas (GA) Coffee
Matthew Burrell, Jr. - OT - Woodbridge (VA) Hylton
Trevor Elbert - OT - Rockwall (TX) Heath
Jake Fruhmorgen - OT - Tampa (FL) Plant*
Mitch Hyatt - OT - Suwanee (GA) North Gwinnett*
Sterling Jenkins - OT - Pittsburgh (PA) Baldwin*
Harrison Moon - OT - Chattanooga (TN) Signal Mountain
Chuma Edoga - OG - Powder Springs (GA) McEachern
Richie Petitbon - OG - Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Jon Runyan, Jr. - OG - Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph's Prep*
Jashon Cornell - DE - St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham*
Jalen Dalton - DE - Clemmons (NC) West Forsyth
Landis Durham - DE - Plano (TX) East
Clelin Ferrell - DE - Richmond (VA) Benedictine
Keisean Lucier-South - DE - Orange (CA) Lutheran*
Charles Omenihu - DE - Rowlett (TX) Rowlett
Cassius Peat - DE - Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol
Darian Roseboro - DE - Lincolnton (NC) Lincolnton*
Darrion Daniels - DT - Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne
Rasheem Greene - DT - Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Daylon Mack - DT - Gladewater (TX) Gladewater
Tim Settle - DT - Manassas (VA) Stonewall Jackson*
Elijah Taylor - DT - Cincinnati (OH) Moeller
Shy Tuttle - DT - Lexington (NC) North Davidson*
Christian Wilkins - DT - Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Jerome Baker - LB - Cleveland (OH) Benedictine*
Josh Barajas - LB - Merrillville (IN) Andrean
Asmar Bilal - LB - Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis
Wyatt Cook - LB - Owings Mills (MD) McDonogh
Jordan Fox - LB - Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep
Justin Hilliard - LB - Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier*
Malik Jefferson - LB - Mesquite (TX) Poteet*
John Houston - LB - Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Darrin Kirkland, Jr. - LB - Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central
Arthur McGinnis - LB - New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton
Anthony McKee - LB - Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge
Joshua McMillon - LB - Memphis (TN) Whitehaven*
Cameron Smith - LB - Granite Bay (CA) Granite Bay
Adonis Thomas - LB - Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett*
Tyriq Thompson - LB - Detroit (MI) King*
Anthony Wheeler - LB - Dallas (TX) Skyline*
Kareem Ali - CB - Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek
Kris Boyd - CB - Gilmer (TX) Gilmer
Shaun Crawford - CB - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward*
Minkah Fitzpatrick - CB - Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep*
Iman Marshall - CB - Long Beach (CA) Poly*
Darrell Miller - CB - Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill
John Reid - CB - Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph's Prep*
Tyree Kinnel - S - Huber Heights (OH) Wayne*
Marcus Lewis - S - Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Tyler Woodley - S - Powder Springs (GA) McEachern

This post is getting long, so hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 prospects: