Michigan Wolverines Football: Highlights from the 2018 Awards Show

Michigan held its annual bust in a different format this year, opening it to the public at Crisler Center.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff handed out awards, with Harbaugh expressing his excitement over the upcoming Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

“Our players had a great season. … our coaches coached a great season. I’m very proud of our team,” Harbaugh said.

“The big one right now is this bowl game. Florida, the 10th ranked team. To get to 11 wins, we would be the 11thMichigan team to win 11 or more games. That's where our determination and focus is right now.”

Harbaugh said he was very pleased with the leadership this season.

“A great senior class,” he said. “You always expect that … they invested the most time, played in the most games. They are the ones you’d expect to be ‘Go Blue’ guys all the time. This senior class has been one of the best I’ve ever been around.”

The Peach Bowl rep officially extended the invitation, saying, “We have an Enthusiasm unknown to mankind to have Michigan join us at the Peach Bowl.” He noted they would host a playoff semifinal next year and would welcome the Wolverines back.

The award winners were as follows:

"I was honored and privileged to coach these guys," Brown said.

Hutchinson said he loved playing for Coach Greg Mattison, though he was still getting used to it.

"I've known him my whole life, so it's a little weird having him as my coach," he said with a laugh.

Winovich said it was his goal to help leave Michigan a better place, and he feels they did. He called the Ohio State game at "mirage" and insisted that wasn't indicative of the team trajectory. He said the program is still on the ascent.

That game and his injury against Indiana (a back injury which came after a lineman jumped on him late) are two of his only regrets, he said. He said he lost $5 from his grandmother when he didn't finish the IU game.

He fully plans to play in the Bowl game.

"We have unfinished business," he said.

Spanellis introduced all of the other nominees ... and then accepted the award. He was also partially responsible for the photo of Ben Bredeson that's now making the rounds.

Defensive line Greg Mattison said he's been blessed to coach a lot of guys who have gone on to the NFL, and he expects many in this group to follow suit.

"This is a huge honor," Winovich said. "It could have gone to anybody. It's a great honor, but we've got more work to do."

"A year ago I couldn’t even walk, wasn’t really sure where my future would end up," he said.: "Thanks coach Harbaugh, the staff, my teammates for giving me the opportunity to come play here. I couldn’t be more proud to be part of the team."

Patterson said he hasn't decided on his future, but he'll sit down with head coach Jim Harbaugh after the Peach Bowl.

Bredeson noted his picture is out there forever. Host Jansen said, "it's burned in my mind."

"We go from this [picture] to toughest guy on the team," Jansen joked.

Line coach Ed Warinner said he was proud of his group, the only one in the conference where all five earned some form of All-Big Ten honors.

"My dad [won this 23 years ago] ... coming to Michigan, it was always a goal to put my name up on the wall."

They're the only father son combo in Michigan history to win this award.

"It's a special feeling," Wangler said. "There were several other guys in that same position."

He caught one touchdown pass this year, the only score of his career.
"It was a great feeling. A lot of hard work put into it," he said.

"You have to continue to bring it every day, or you're not going to be part of that standard (Don Brown) sets," Kemp said of what made him improve this year.

Hewlett recovered the fumble against Michigan State that changed the game on a punt.

"It was amazing, happened so fast," he said. "Jordan [Glasgow] made an unbelievable play on the guy [to force it], and it changed momentum. We were backed up. It was huge for us, really amazing."

"Every day work as hard as I can to be as great as I can for my teammates," Ross said.

"The first conversation I had with Coach Harbaugh, he said what he wanted to see in football team," Herbert said. "He said, 'I want a tough team full of tough individuals.

"The s a tough game played by mentally and physically tough individuals."

"[Don Brown] pushed me, and to be playing with that group of guys ... it's best group I've played with in football, ever. It’s fun," Bush said. "You never know what to expect."

Brown got emotional in talking about how attentive Bush was on the sidelines, always right next to him on his right.

"He called me a dude. You heard that," Bush said with a grin.

Furbush wasn't there to accept, in Arizona to interview for a job with a company that specializes in making missiles.

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