8/21/2018 football Edit

Michigan Football: Grant Newsome Opens Up About His Retirement, Leg Injury

Austin Fox • Maize&BlueReview

Staff Writer

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Grant Newsome suffered his injury on Oct. 1, 2016, against Wisconsin. (Lon Horwedel)

Redshirt junior left tackle Grant Newsome penned a heartfelt goodbye to Michigan fans yesterday, signaling the end of his playing days.

A brutal leg injury suffered against Wisconsin on Oct. 1, 2016, was the reason why, and today, Newsome met with the media to talk in depth about his decision.

“Writing that was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” he admitted. “I wrote most of it over a year ago during a tough stretch I was having in rehab, but used it as motivation to push back.

“I have great parents who mean a lot to me, and my teammates and coaching staff have provided great support as well. There were days where quitting would have been the easiest option.

“I got to the point this year where I needed to decide if I wanted to practice once camp broke — my doctors all met and I asked them what Plan B was if something were to go wrong.

“Their answer was that there wasn’t a good fix, and injury to the vascular graph would result in amputation of my leg. It wasn’t a risk I was willing to accept. They were actually worried I would never walk again after my first night in surgery [in 2016], so I’m extremely blessed to be where I am.

“I had the conversations with my parents to hang it up over the last few weeks. My focus had always been football, football, football, so when it actually came time to make a decision, that’s when I had to think hard and deep about whether or not this was the best option for me.

“I’m very competitive and didn’t just want to be another statistic — I wanted to be the first person to ever come back from that injury. There were times I felt like I failed or quit, but I’ve now made peace with the decision. I’ll always have that inkling of ‘what if,’ but I’m happy with it.

“It is bittersweet though — that’s the case any time you can no longer do something. Pat Kugler recently told me ‘football ends for everyone,’ and I just had to decide if I wanted it to end now or in a year or two.”

Jim Harbaugh admitted today on his “Attack Each day” podcast that the injury would have been less severe if Newsome had been wearing a knee brace, but the veteran lineman said he harbors no ill will toward anyone.

“I don’t have any resentment toward Coach or anyone involved,” he said. “It was a freak accident. If I would have been wearing a knee brace, it would have lessened the severity, but I could have gotten into a car accident the next day. There are certain things you can’t control in life.”

As for the play itself, Newsome said it took him a long time to actually watch it.

“I didn’t watch the play for close to 18 months,” he revealed. “I don’t know whether it was just a mental thing where I’d play again someday and then watch it — I sometimes think about where I could be if it wouldn’t have happened, but hindsight is 20/20. I have no ill toward the guy who did it — it was a football play and well within the rules.”

So what’s next for Newsome?

Most seem to be in agreement that a career in politics or coaching would suit the young man, and he revealed he’s already gotten a head start on the latter.

“Some of the guys call me Coach Grant and some call me just Newsome,” he laughed. “I like playing better than coaching, just because I have the control. It’s great working with the young guys and helping them though — I try to show them every now and then that I still have it.

“I’ll continue to rehab, but I’m completely healthy and don’t have any physical limitations. I’ll have a completely functional life, and wasn’t ready to risk that.

“I’ll also get my grad degree and contribute as a student coach with the tight ends, and see if the coaching bug bites me. I’ve had people reach out to me for jobs, which shows you how incredible both Michigan and college football are in general. I’m also interested in charity and non-profit work, like Team Impact and the Chad Tough Foundation.”

Notes

• Newsome admitted that Michigan's offensive tackles are coming along nicely, and that new o-line coach Ed Warinner is a big reason why.

“We’ve gotten back to the roots," he explained. "We’ve simplified everything and have focused on the technique and fundamentals, and it’ll pay dividends for us this year.

“Older guys like [redshirt junior] Jon [Runyan] and [fifth-year senior] Juwann [Bushell-Beatty] and younger guys like [redshirt freshman] James [Hudson] and [freshman] Jalen Mayfield are all coming along. They’re in even better hands than they were in 2016.”

• Newsome revealed that after last year's frustrating 8-5 season, Harbaugh approached some of the veterans on the roster and asked for their input on what needs to be fixed.

“He got with some of the older guys like myself and asked what we need to do differently to get over that hump," the lineman said.

"We lost those three games by five points in 2016, so we’ve been right there. Coach has been proactive by making changes in the weight room, but I’ll keep what was said only between us."