Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Chad Henne

Chad Henne

Chad Henne started the season opener for the Jaguars over this year's first round pick, Blake Bortles. Henne went 24/43 for 266 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. The Jags jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but they gave up 34 unanswered points in a 34-17 loss. In that same game, Denard Robinson had 3 carries for 8 yards and 1 catch for 3 yards. On the other sideline, Brandon Graham had 4 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.

Honorable mention: Charles Woodson of the Oakland Raiders had 9 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup in a 19-14 loss to the New York Jets. Arizona Cardinal linebacker Larry Foote had 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups in an 18-17 win over the San Diego Chargers on Monday night. New York Giants free safety Stevie Brown had 9 tackles in a 35-14 loss to the Detroit Lions. Tom Brady was 29/56 for 249 yards and 1 touchdown in a 33-20 Patriots loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Charles Woodson

In a 34-14 loss to the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raider Charles Woodson had 11 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 quarterback hurry.

Honorable mention: The Jacksonville Jaguars' Chad Henne went 30/51 for 331 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception in a 30-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The Philadelphia Eagles' Jason Avant caught 3 passes for 45 yards in a 24-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Kansas City Chief Junior Hemingway had 5 catches for 45 yards in a 27-24 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Tom Brady completed 14/24 passes for 122 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception in a 34-20 Patriots win over the Buffalo Bills.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Chad Henne

Chad Henne led his team to a 24-19 victory over the Tennessee Titans despite being sacked an unbelievable seven times.  The victory is only the second of the season for Jacksonville, and the win marks Henne's first start of the season after beating out the tenth overall selection of the 2011 NFL Draft, QB Blaine Gabbert.  Henne went 17/26 passing for 261 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the win.  Henne's play has improved greatly since his days in Miami, and his passer rating on the season is now an even 100.  Mike Martin had one tackle in the game for the Titans.

Honorable Mention:  Mario Manningham, Henne's former go-to wide receiver, had a 40-yard reception in the first half of his 49ers win over the New Orleans Saints.  He finished the game with five receptions for 69 yards.  He now has 36 receptions for 412 yards on the season.

Miscellaneous:  

• Stevie Brown had three tackles as his Giants beat up on the Packers
• Brady Threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns; he rushed for another score.  He would be mentioned above, but I'm sick of writing about Tom Brady.
• David Harris leads the Jets in tackles and had ten in a loss to the Patriots.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Chad Henne

"In command"

Chad Henne is once again a starting quarterback in the NFL following his 354-yard, four touchdown relief performance against the Houston Texans.  Henne gets the starting nod for the Jaguars over Blaine Gabbert, the tenth overall selection in the 2011 Draft.  Gabbert has been unimpressive during his limited time in the league and holds a not-so-good 77.4 passer rating this year.

"[Henne] took command of the offense," Jacksonville's head coach Mike Mularkey said.  He's been a starter in the league.  He's had some success at that position." 

But truth be told, Henne hasn't had much success.  Over the course of his four year career, he has failed to end a season with a passer rating above 80 or finish a year with more touchdowns than interceptions.  Nevertheless, Henne has never lacked for talent -- as Michigan fans well know -- and is surely aided by his four years of NFL experience.  He's been performing much better this year with his new team, currently holding a 96.5 passer rating.

Honorable Mention:  David Molk isn't the best Michigan center in the NFL just yet; that distinction belongs to Jonathan Goodwin.  He starts for the division leading 7-2 San Fransisco 49ers, and his team beat up on the 7-3 Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football last week.  49er teammate Mario Manningham had 2 catches for 45 yards in the game.
 
Miscellaneous:

• A bye week is the only force that can prevent Stevie Brown from dominating the world.
• Brady threw for 331 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions his 59-24 schooling of Andrew Luck and the Colts.
• Brandon Graham didn't register any stats as his struggling Eagles team lost to the Redskins.
• HAPPY THANKSGIVING!  EAT GOOD FOOD, RELAX WITH FAMILY, AND WATCH NFL FOOTBALL!

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Steve Hutchinson

Steve Hutchinson

Steve Hutchinson has never been named as TTB's former Michigan athlete of the week, probably because it's hard to judge the performance of an offensive lineman if only given the chance to glance at game recaps and stat lines.  Even with that excuse, Hutchinson's absence from this series just isn't cool, man.  Here's a quick, incomplete rundown of many of the career accomplishments from one of the greatest Wolverines of all time:

• Four-year starter for Michigan at offensive guard
• National Championship winner
• four-time All-Big Ten selection
• Two-time All-American
• First round NFL draft pick
• Signed the richest contract ever by an OG
• Seven-time Pro Bowl selection, seven time All-Pro

Now with the Tennessee Titans and in his 12th NFL season, Hutchinson helped his team run for 177 yards against a very good Miami defense in a 37-3 blowout win this week.  Two years remain on his contract at season's end.

Honorable mention:  The Jacksonville Jaguars lost to rookie quarterback Andrew Luck and the Colts by a score of 27-10, but Chad Henne saw significant playing time in the fourth quarter and performed well.  Henne finished 10/16 passing for 121 yards with one touchdown and one interception following a tipped pass.  Since the Jags are now 1-8 and have nothing else to talk about, fans have been creating some chatter about putting Henne in as the starter to see what he can do.  If you're really hardcore about Chad Henne, you can go to ChadHenneFans.org.  Chad Henne!

Miscellaneous:

• Stevie Brown makes two tackles, does an interview, and has an article written about his role at safety after the return of both Giant starters.
• Jason Avant beaned in the head gif.
• Too bad starter Tim Jamison is on the Injured Reserve in a year when the Texans are actually really good.
• Head here for weekly updates on NFL coaches with Michigan connections.

NFL Wolverines: Manningham, Hutchinson, Henne Find New Teams

Mario Manningham is a 49er

NFL free agency kicked off at 4:00 p.m. on March 13 and that lead to some shuffling of former Michigan athletes. We'll find out where all of them land when I get around to updating the list of Wolverines in the NFL, but for now, here's the rundown of the high-profile movers.

Mario Manningham is headed to San Francisco after signing a two-year contract worth up to 7.3 million dollars - a good chunk of coin but significantly less than top-flight wide receiver money. Manningham fought a knee injury for much of last year and had the least productive regular season of his career, finishing with 39 catches for 523 yards. However, his playoff performances and Super Bowl heroics contributed to a healthy market for his services, which the Giants could not afford with two solid wide receivers, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, already on their roster. Manningham joins a 49ers receiving unit that includes former Buckeye and first-round draft pick Ted Ginn Jr., former first-rounder Michael Crabtree, and all-time receiving great Randy "straight cash, homie" Moss.

Steve Hutchinson isn't the dominant All-Pro left guard that he used to be, but the 34-year-old is still good enough to command a three-year contract from the Tennessee Titans. Hutchinson - who has pancake blocked the way to 1,000 yard rushing seasons for Adrian Peterson, Shaun Alexander and Chester Taylor - will now be paving the way for speedster Chris Johnson, one of the league's most exciting running backs.

Chad Henne separated his non-throwing shoulder in early October of last year, which caused him to miss the remainder of the 2011 season. Actually, the injury was "more severe than a separated shoulder," according to Henne. But he still drew attention when he hit the open market, first from the Seattle Seahawks and then from the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he signed a two-year deal worth $6.75 million. Henne will compete with the 2011 NFL Draft's 10th overall selection Blaine Gabbert for Jacksonville's starting spot. Through four years in the NFL, Henne has more interceptions (37) than touchdowns (31) and an unimpressive 75.7 passer rating, but it doesn't sound like he's ready to concede anything yet. "I'm a fierce competitor. I will do everything I can to get that job."

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Steve Breaston

Pickings were slim this week. Brady put up his standard 350+ yards through the air, but he also threw 4 interceptions - which matched his INT total for all of last season - in a loss to the Bills. Henne finished with a respectable 90.4 QB rating, but it was in a losing effort to the Cleveland Browns on a day when he led his offense to only 16 points. So Breaston gets the nod here with his 3 catches for 55 yards. I hear that yards per catch is one of the more flawed statistics, but an 18. 3YPC is as impressive as anything else that I saw on the stat sheet this week. And even though Breaston's team the Kansas City Chiefs lost by a score of 20-17 against the Chargers, his 14.5 point underdog team hung a lot tougher than most thought that would after getting shellacked by the Lions in week 2. Still, I hope Breaston's numbers are a bit more impressive the next time he wins this prestigious award.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

Tom Brady, before he had sexy hair.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a decent game on Monday night.  He finished the victory against the Miami Dolphins with 517 yards on 32-for-48 (66.7%) passing.  He tossed 4 touchdowns and 1 interception.  One of those touchdown passes was a 99-yard pass to Wes Welker.  The Patriots won by a score of 38-24.

Honorable mention: Brady's opponent in that game was Chad Henne, who had an excellent game as well.  Henne completed 30 out of 49 (61.2%) passes for 416 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.  He also ran 7 times for 59 yards (8.4 yards per carry) and 1 touchdown.

2004 Offer Board

74 total offers

QUARTERBACK (3)
Chad Henne - West Lawn, PA (Michigan)
Blake Barnes - Baldwyn, MS (Georgia)
Rhett Bomar - Grand Prairie, TX (Oklahoma)

RUNNING BACK (11)
Roger Allison - Lake Orion, MI (Michigan)
Mike Hart - Syracuse, NY (Michigan)
Max Martin - Madison, AL (Michigan)
Greg Coleman - Iowa City, IA (Iowa State)
Derron Thomas - Reserve, LA (Miami)
Bobby Washington - Miami, FL (Miami)
Tony Temple - Kansas City, MO (Missouri)
Erik Haw - Columbus, OH (Ohio State)
Ja'Kouri Williams - Plaquemine, LA (Tennessee)
George Bell - Fayetteville, NC (Virginia Tech)
Purnell Sturdivant - Norfolk, VA (Virginia Tech)

WIDE RECEIVER (11)
Adrian Arrington - Cedar Rapids, IA (Michigan)
Keston Cheatham - Pomona, CA (Michigan)
Doug Dutch - Washington, DC (Michigan)
Morgan Trent - Orchard Lake, MI (Michigan)
Lonnell Dewalt - Bowling Green, KY (Kentucky)
Ted Ginn, Jr. - Cleveland, OH (Ohio State)
Cameron Colvin - Concord, CA (Oregon)
Jaison Williams - Culver City, CA (Oregon)
Desmond Tardy - Indianapolis, IN (Purdue)
Chris Ogbonnaya - Houston, TX (Texas)
Ryan Graves - Venice, CA (UCLA)

TIGHT END (4)
Mike Massey - Cleveland, OH (Michigan)
Kellen Freeman-Davis - Adrian, MI (Michigan State)
Dale Thompson - Corona, CA (USC)
Brad Allen - Venice, FL (Vanderbilt)

OFFENSIVE TACKLE (6)
Micah Jones - Mayfield, KY (Kentucky)
Kellen Heard - Wharton, TX (Miami)
Kyle Mitchum - Erie, PA (Ohio State)
Steve Rehring - West Chester, OH (Ohio State)
Gerald Cadogan - Portsmouth, OH (Penn State)
Chilo Rachal - Compton, CA (USC)

OFFENSIVE GUARD (8)
Jeremy Ciulla - Kennesaw, GA (Michigan)
Grant DeBenedictis - Boca Raton, FL (Michigan)
Brett Gallimore - Riverside, MO (Michigan)
Alex Mitchell - Bay City, MI (Michigan)
Dumaka Atkins - Sarasota, FL (Florida State)
Greg Harrison - Shenandoah, PA (Penn State)
Josh Winchell - Southaven, MS (South Carolina)
Thomas Herring - Los Angeles, CA (USC)

CENTER (0)

DEFENSIVE END (8)
Eugene Germany - Pomona, CA (Michigan)
Tim Jamison - Harvey, IL (Michigan)
Charles Alexander - Breaux Bridge, LA (LSU)
Calais Campbell - Denver, CO (Miami)
Dion Gales - LaPlace, LA (Mississippi)
Vernon Gholston - Detroit, MI (Ohio State)
Ryan Baker - Indianapolis, IN (Purdue)
Jeff Schweiger, Jr. - San Jose, CA (USC)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (9)
Alan Branch - Albuquerque, NM (Michigan)
Will Johnson - Lake Orion, MI (Michigan)
Marques Walton - Chicago, IL (Michigan)
Dwayne Hendricks - Millville, NJ (Miami)
Corey Mills - Memphis, TN (Mississippi)
A.Q. Shipley - Coraopolis, PA (Penn State)
Craig Bokor - Aliquippa, PA (Pittsburgh)
Williams Morrisey - Silsbee, TX (Texas A&M)
Nick Hayden - Hartland, WI (Wisconsin)

LINEBACKER (5)
Chris Graham - Indianapolis, IN (Michigan)
Chris Rogers - Wexford, PA (Michigan)
John Thompson - Detroit, MI (Michigan)
Marcus Freeman - Huber Heights, OH (Ohio State)
Dan Connor - Wallingford, PA (Penn State)

CORNERBACK (2)
Charles Stewart - Farmington Hills, MI (Michigan)
Rod Council - Charlotte, NC (Louisville)

SAFETY (5)
Jamar Adams - Charlotte, NC (Michigan)
Kyle Jackson - Neptune Beach, FL (Florida)
Craig Steltz - New Orleans, LA (LSU)
Devon Lyons - Pittsburgh, PA (Ohio State)
Sirjo Welch - Columbus, OH (Ohio State)

KICKER (2)
David Lonie - Iowa Falls, IA (California)
Dave Brytus - Imperial, PA (Purdue)

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Leon Hall

Cornerback Leon Hall now plays for the Cincinnati Bengals

Leon Hall, currently of the Bengals, had 5 tackles, 1 quarterback hurry, 1 interception, and 2 pass breakups in Sunday's 20-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers.  The Panthers were quarterbacked by former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

Honorable mention: Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne completed 26/44 passes for 363 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception in a Sunday night loss against the Jets.

Dishonorable mention: Braylon Edwards got arrested for DWI last week in New York.  His punishment from the team?  He had to sit in the corner and think about what he'd done for the first 15 minutes of Sunday night's game.  Then he was allowed to go out and catch 2 passes for 87 yards and 1 touchdown to help the Jets beat the Dolphins.  Rex Ryan said that Edwards suffered enough by "being embarrassed" and would endure no further punishment from the team.  In other news, Rex Ryan is a joke.  Furthermore, I have yet to hear Michigan fans attack Edwards with the same amount of hatred as they have shown for Morgan Trent.  Trent would have been much better off to drive around drunk and endanger a bunch of people's lives than to badmouth Rich Rodriguez.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Chad Henne

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday, 22-21. Henne was 29-for-52 with 335 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

Honorable mention: Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley had 8 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and 3 quarterback hurries. Unfortunately for him, the Steelers lost to the Oakland Raiders, 27-24.

2004 Recruiting: Offensive Backfield

The recruiting class of 2004 has run out of eligibility. It's sad to see some of these guys go. Others...not so much. Here's the beginning of a breakdown of the 2004 recruiting class.

Quarterback

Chad Henne: 6'2", 210 lbs. - West Lawn, PA - Rivals: *****
Henne was the prize of the 2004 recruiting class. Ranked #13 overall by Rivals, he was the second-best recruit from Pennsylvania...behind Anthony Morelli. Henne came to Michigan and started from Day 1 of his freshman season. The presumed starter, Matt Gutierrez, hurt his shoulder and couldn't be the player Michigan expected. Henne came in and immediately started chucking the ball to senior Braylon Edwards, providing Edwards with the opportunities to win the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best receiver. Henne continued to improve through his junior year. He hit a speed bump as a senior, playing poorly against Appalachian State and Oregon before injuring his knee. He ended his career as Michigan's leading passer in many categories, but he went 0-4 against Ohio State, which hurt his legacy. The Miami Dolphins picked him with their 2nd round pick in 2008.
Career stats: 828/1387, 59.7% completions, 87 TD's, 37 INT's

Position Grade: A. Michigan got perhaps the school's all-time best passer and a four-year starter.

Running Back

Max Martin - 6'2", 210 lbs. - Madison, AL - Rivals: ****
In a relatively weak running back class, Martin was the #15 running back behind a bunch of no-names other than Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. Still, it was hoped that Max Martin could step in for the graduated Chris Perry and contribute alongside senior David Underwood. Both Martin and Underwood were beaten out by another no-name kid. Martin played at Michigan for two years, rushing for only 358 yards. Seeking more playing time, he transferred to Alabama. Alabama didn't like his attitude, so Martin transferred to Alabama State. He's probably working in a shoelace factory now. Seen as a savior for the position, he quickly faded into anonymity.
Career stats (at Michigan): 85 carries, 358 yards, 3 TD's

Michael Hart - 5'10", 175 lbs. - Syracuse, NY - Rivals: ***
Okay, Hart was listed at 5'10", but the only way he was 5'10" coming out of high school was if he contracted progeria as a freshman at Michigan. We all know how this turned out, though. The undersized, unheralded running back became perhaps Michigan's greatest running back ever. Since he didn't have much speed, he used superior vision, balance, and cutting ability to become the all-time leading Wolverine rusher and a 4th round selection by the Indianapolis Colts.
Career stats: 1015 carries, 5040 yards, 41 TD's

Roger Allison - 6'2", 230 lbs. - Lake Orion, MI - Rivals: ***
Allison was the #9 fullback coming out of high school, behind players such as Peyton Hillis (recently seen playing tailback for the Denver Broncos) and Jordan Dizon (a 2007 second round pick by the Detroit Lions as a linebacker). Going into 2005 Allison was thought to be the leader for the fullback job. But a career-ending nerve injury prevented him from ever playing for the Wolverines. Mark Moundros has done an excellent job at fullback, but if Allison had remained healthy after redshirting in 2004, he may have been Michigan's version of Owen Schmitt in Rich Rodriguez's offense.
Career stats: None

Position Grade: A. It would have been nice to get a second contributor, but getting the school's all-time leading rusher makes for a pretty good haul.