Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Loves Drafting Players Out Of U-M — Here's Why:
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected two Michigan players in this year's NFL draft (linebacker Devin Bush at No. 10 and tight end Zach Gentry at No. 141), with head coach Mike Tomlin revealing on the final day of the event it wasn't just by chance.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has admitted in the past he likes taking Michigan athletes for obvious reasons (U-M head man Jim is his brother), while Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has expressed similar feelings, explaining that Wolverine players are well-trained for the pros coming out of college.
Tomlin's name can be added to that list as well, as he voiced his admiration to the NFL Network crew last weekend for Michigan players and the way the program is run.
“You just get that feeling when you walk into Schembechler Hall and see The Big House in the background, and it lets you know you’re in the right place,” he exclaimed to network host Rich Eisen and the rest of the staff on April 27.
“Certain kids are attracted to programs — like Michigan — that have a history, tradition and legacy that is centered around core values and football.
"When you see a youngster like Gentry make a conscious decision to move from New Mexico to Michigan, it’s attractive to us.
"The aspects that bring those young men to a place like U-M attract other young men who see that.”
More Michigan NFL Draft Notes:
With its five players chosen this year, Michigan has now had 369 draft selections all time, which checks in as the fifth-most of any college program.
The Wolverines hold a slim four-pick lead over Alabama for the No. 5 spot, but likely won't be climbing the list any time soon, seeing as how they are 25 picks behind No. 4 Oklahoma.
| School | Number of Picks |
|---|---|
|
1. USC |
506 |
|
2. Notre Dame |
504 |
|
3. Ohio State |
452 |
|
4. Oklahoma |
394 |
|
5. Michigan |
369 |
|
6. Alabama |
365 |
|
7. Nebraska |
359 |
|
8. Penn State |
356 |
|
9. Florida |
349 |
|
10. Miami (Fla.) |
347 |
Perhaps even more impressive than its 369 all-time picks, though, is the fact that Michigan extended its streak of consecutive drafts with at least one player selected to 81 this year.
Of the 84 all-time NFL drafts (since 1936), U-M has seen at least one of its players taken in all of them but two (1936 and 1938), including every year since 1939.
Believe it or not, this is only good for the third-longest streak in the nation, however, as Notre Dame and USC are currently boasting slightly longer stretches (1937 for the former and 1938 for the latter).
| Team | Number of Drafts With a Player Selected (Years Without Anybody Taken) |
|---|---|
|
T-1. Notre Dame |
83 (1937) |
|
T-1. Ohio State |
83 (1998) |
|
T-3. Michigan |
82 (1936 and 1938) |
|
T-3. Michigan State |
82 (1938 and 1940) |
|
T-3. Oklahoma |
82 (1962 and 1995) |
|
T-3. USC |
82 (1936 and 1938) |
|
T-7. LSU |
81 (1938, 1942 and 1993) |
|
T-7. Purdue |
81 (1994, 1997 and 2019) |
|
T-7. Texas |
81 (1936, 1937 and 2014) |
|
T-10. Alabama |
80 (1960, 1961, 1970 and 2008) |
|
T-10. Georgia |
80 (1936, 1937, 1941 and 1992) |
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