Michigan Wolverines football sophomore defensive end Aidan Hutchinson joined Jon Jansen on his 'In the Trenches' podcast today to discuss Saturday's victory over Army and his game-winning plays at the end of double-overtime.
Chris Hutchinson (Aidan's father, who was an All-American at U-M in 1992) also phoned in to discuss how proud he is of his son, and what it's like watching him from the stands.
Aidan Hutchinson:
"[Redshirt junior defensive tackle] Mike Dwumfour came up to me at the start of the first overtime and told me big time players make big time plays in big time games.
"I took it and knew that in order to win, someone was going to have to make a big play.
"In the second overtime, we had an opportunity and I took advantage of it.
"There's a reason we started prepping for them in spring ball. It [Army's offensive system] was foreign to me at first but I started to feel the tempo of the game as the afternoon went on, and our defense started to have more success.
"Coach [Don] Brown prepped us so well for this game. He always bragged to us that when we played Air Force [in 2017], our defense held them to their lowest total in a decade — I think he told us that every single day and it motivated us, and played a factor in us having a good game as a defense.
"It was almost a surreal experience [starting]. I have these new goals this year, so coming out as a starter was a completely different experience.
"I expect more out of myself than anyone expects out of me. I push myself the hardest and shoot as high as I can go. I hope people laugh when they ask me what my goals are, and they actually have before — I love it. First-team All-Big Ten and first-team All-American are some goals I have.
"It was always my dream to come here. I couldn't not take the opportunity to have my dad's number here and carry out the legacy. Wearing his number means the world to me — it's weird seeing him in 97, because all I've known is me in it.
"His Rose Bowl jersey is in a big frame in my room.
"My mom gets really emotional whenever I make a big play and she started balling her eyes out when that last play hit on Saturday, so that put a big smile on my face."
Heading into the bye week...
"That win was good but it only lasts so long. I've mentally moved on and am ready to play the Badgers.
"We got our revenge on them last year for the previous season, so they're coming for blood this time. We know they're coming, but we're coming too. Our goals as a team are the biggest goals, so if we want to make it all the way, every week is our National Championship.
"[Wisconsin junior running back] Jonathan Taylor is a good back and they have good o-linemen, but we're bringing a lot to the table too.
"We have huge games ahead, and I just can't wait to play them. These teams will be true tests to how good of a team we actually are. Once adversity hits, who's going to respond?"
Chris Hutchinson:
"It's more anxiety than I thought it would be [watching his son play]. His mom and I have been pretty stressed out — I jumped up and screamed so loud and got lightheaded when he made that second-down play [in double-overtime].
"His mom couldn't even watch on that last play. I kept telling her Aidan was going to make something happen and win the game — I was just trying to be positive. Lo and behold, he had two great plays for the defense to win the ball game.
"Aidan choosing the number 97 was a big surprise because we had never really talked about it.
"I was fine with whatever he did, but it was a great honor for him to choose it because he'll make his own name with that number. It's been long enough ago [since I've played] — you have to be 40 years old to remember me [as a player].
"I didn't believe it at first [that he could play collegiately]. His first offer was from LSU, so I just thought they were being nice because I knew Les Miles and Cam Cameron.
"I pinned him as a three-star at first, but then his first rankings came out and he was a four-star.
"My wife and I told him before his junior year of high school we would take him on official visits anywhere in the country, as long as he could see himself living there. He took that mentality, though I think a lot of schools didn't recruit him just because they assumed he was going to Michigan.
"It just felt different at Michigan, and he felt it too. All the other places were nice, but Michigan was different.
Chris Hutchinson (who is a doctor of medicine) on the benefits of playing football....
"The parents need to sit down and discuss what each family is comfortable with. My family has a rule of not playing tackle football until seventh grade, because kids are bigger and have more muscle tone then, and the brains are a little more developed.
"Football is a violent sport, but you need to balance it with the things the game teaches you. I would never be a University physician or have gone to Michigan without football.
"That is often overlooked when people talk about concussions. So many people I know wouldn't be in the positions they're in if they hadn't played football."
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