Michigan junior quarterback transfer Shea Patterson is ready to make his mark on a program he once dreamed of leading.
The Toledo, Ohio native grew up watching former Wolverine Chad Henne, fell asleep to Michigan football stories told by his dad and took the roundabout route to Ann Arbor, starting out at Ole Miss.
He’s all Wolverine now, and the offense is his heading into the Sept. 1 opener at Notre Dame.
“It’s once in a lifetime,” Patterson said. “Not many people can look back and say they had the opportunity to be the quarterback at the University of Michigan. Coach [Jim] Harbaugh being a team captain and All-American here and now he’s the coach … how many people get to do that? He’s the best coach I’ve ever been around. He’s making the most of his opportunity, and so will I.
“I know there’s not going to be another shot. I’m only going to get this time once in my life. Each and every one of us is fired up [with] kind of a quiet confidence we have going on. We’re just working, working every single day.”
He’s not ‘the savior,’ but he is the best pure talent the Wolverines have had at quarterback since Henne. His playing style resembles Harbaugh’s at Michigan — he throws a beautiful ball, he can run and sometimes he’ll scramble himself in and out of a mess on the same play.
The results are generally good. He threw for 2,259 yards in only seven games last year, including 17 touchdowns against nine picks, and has proven tough for even the talented Michigan defense to corral.
“He’s fast,” redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Mike Dwumfour said. “He’s faster than he looks. If you see him walking, I don’t think you’d think he’s fast. He definitely caught me off-guard. I’ve had to chase him a few times in practice.”
Patterson had high expectations when he arrived, and he’s lived up to them. He never expected anything but to start, he said.
“If you have that mindset, you probably won’t be [the starter],” Patterson said Thursday. “I always have that mindset that I’m coming in here to work and … expect nothing less with myself. We’re all learning from each other every single day and getting each other better. If you don’t expect to be the starter then you probably shouldn’t be playing this game.”
His confidence has rubbed off on the rest of the team, sophomore fullback Ben Mason said. He has a swagger that rubs off, confident but not cocky, and it’s elevated the offense this fall.
That he wears one of the most hallowed numbers in Michigan’s storied football history isn’t an accident, either. He called Heisman winner Charles Woodson before donning the No. 2.
“I thought out of respect for possibly the best player that ever lived to see if it was okay to wear his number,” Patterson said. “He said, ‘Can’t wear it.’
He laughed before continuing.
“No … he said just wear that number with pride, and if you’re going to wear it, know what you’re wearing it for. You’ve got to be a leader and show guys how hard you work and wear it with pride.”
He seems to get it. Former Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight (now at UCLA) helped in that area this summer, too. Though the two didn’t talk much about football when they crossed paths, Speight did offer
“He did say to me one time, ‘being the quarterback at Michigan is the biggest thing you’re ever going to be part of,’” Patterson recalled. “I took that and ran with it, and I understand that. I understand how big of an opportunity this is, and I’m excited to do it.”
He wouldn’t reveal the game plan, of course, but it’s clear the coaches are tailoring a game plan to his skill set.
“It’s a little bit of everything,” he said. “I’m adjusting to it well.
“We’re going to do what we do. The offensive staff has a really good game plan. I’m going to go out there and execute it.”
He knows he doesn't have to do it himself, blessed with a number of outstanding skill players around him. He’s ready to do is part, though, with a championship as goal No. 1.
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