Sean Patterson, the father of Michigan Wolverines football senior quarterback Shea Patterson, joined head coach Jim Harbaugh on his weekly 'Attack Each day' podcast this morning to discuss his son's journey to Ann Arbor.
The two also talked about the signal caller's progress from last season to this year, while Harbaugh shared his excitement for U-M's quarterback group as a whole.
Jim Harbaugh:
"Our honorary captains for the Army game [on Sept. 7] will be Lloyd Carr, Gary Moeller and Al Glick."
Jim Harbaugh, on the Three Wolverines he is Bringing to Big Ten Media Days:
"[Senior viper Khaleke] Hudson and [senior left guard Ben] Bredeson have both played in 38 out of 39 possible games since they've been here, and [fifth-year senior viper Jordan] Glasgow has played in 39 the last three years.
"They're three guys who 'just go' — as I watched summer workouts and spring ball, they didn't ask why we were doing things and didn't complain. They just go.
"As Jack Harbaugh would say, those three are just football players.
"Bo [Schembechler] used to always take seniors and fifth-year guys to Chicago, and we're doing the same thing. It's not easy just to pick three, but the three we're taking are great.
"This week usually signals the start of the season, and even though it's a slow period right now, it signifies the beginning."
Sean Patterson, Discussing Shea's Time With the Texas Rangers:
"Part of his contract reads that he has to go one week a year with the team as long as he's playing football.
"He would get up for work last year and work out in 100 degree heat with the head coach of the Triple-AAA team in Texas, and then hang with the guys in the clubhouse after that.
"He'd sit there with a lot of ex-major league players and got to experience that professionalism for about seven or eight straight days.
"Shea went directly to spring training this year in Arizona and it has helped him understand professionalism. It's been a great experience for both he and the Rangers.
"It's a bit more fun watching that than a 6-4 linebacker chasing your son."
Sean Patterson, Recapping Shea's Journey to Michigan:
"He grew up in Toledo until about fourth or fifth grade, and actually played on the same team as [former Notre Dame and current Green Bay Packers quarterback] DeShone Kizer.
"We then moved down to the border of Mexico and he played at a dual-speaking high school his freshman year, and actually committed to Arizona at the time.
"My job then took me to Louisiana and he won two state championships there and became Player of the Year.
"Shea could've graduated after his junior year, but got a call from IMG Academy [in Florida] and went there for a semester.
"He then went to Ole Miss as a freshman and played in the last three games of the year. Shea played the next season as well, and then thank God ended up at Michigan with Coach Harbaugh.
"He's been through six offensive coordinators and six head coaches in six years, so this will be the first time he's had the same coach in consecutive years in a long time.
"They gave him crutches when he got hurt after the Ohio State game last year but wouldn't walk out with them, and right then and there I knew he was coming back for his senior year.
"I'm almost sad because his time is going to come to an end here soon — I can't wait for it to start, but I don't want it to end.
"Shea has a sense of urgency and knows what is expected out of a Michigan quarterback.
"There was a perception of him coming in that he was just going to take over, but he's more humble than people realize.
"He's wearing that Maize and Blue proud, and he's established himself here. It's 100 percent different talking to him over the phone this year than last season.
"The Michigan experience is more than just football, and I've talked about it with my other son, Nick [who is a 2020 Michigan commit].
"Shea will play every game on U-M's schedule, and the only way he won't play is if they take him out on a stretcher. Not playing in a bowl game would never be an option for him.
"When Shea was transferring, Coach Harbaugh told us there were no guarantees, and he just wanted to know if he'd come if offered.
"We didn't want to hear about guarantees, and I told him Shea not to go there if he didn't want a challenge. He never took another visit after Michigan.
Jim Harbaugh, Discussing Shea Patterson and the Rest of U-M's Quarterbacks:
"We have Shea, [redshirt sophomore] Dylan McCaffrey, [redshirt freshman] Joe Milton and [freshman] Cade McNamara, and the pipeline is really good as well.
"Our situation at quarterback is fantastic, and I can't think of a team in the country who has it better.
"Shea came in and played winning football from the first game last year, and won the next 10 straight ball games after that against multiple ranked teams and powerhouses.
"He excelled without being here for that one year that so many quarterbacks at every level need to have.
"Everybody here loves him, and he wants to make Michigan and himself great. There was never any question on whether or not he'd play in the bowl game — it was out of the realm of possibility for him not to play, and that's my kind of guy.
"I know what the look should be in a facemask as a coach and as a player, and when I see all our quarterbacks out there, I see little Jimmy Harbaughs — except better.
"They're great youngsters to work with and they don't come any better than the guys we have."
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