We took a look at the four most unbreakable offensive records in Michigan Wolverines football history last week, and have next turned our attention to the defensive side of the ball.
The accomplishments below are listed in the order of the likelihood that they'll ever be broken, with No. 1 being the least likely.
It's also worth noting that Michigan's official database only dates back to 1949, with all of the following achievements having occurred since then.
4. Ron Simpkins' 516 Career Tackles
The 516 tackles that linebacker Ron Simpkins racked up from 1976-79 are the most in Michigan history by a wide margin, with linebacker Jarrett Irons (1993-96) checking in a distant second with 440.
To further exemplify how impressive Simpkins' 516 career stops are, consider this: only three other players in U-M history have even recorded 400 tackles in a career — Irons, linebacker Erick Anderson (428 from 1988-91) and linebacker Paul Girgash (414 from 1979-82).
If a player ever hopes to overtake Simpkins' record, they would have to average 130 tackles per season over a four-year career. To put in perspective how difficult that would be, it's worth noting that Michigan's tackles leader over the last five years has only averaged 93.6 per season.
3. Mark Messner's 36 Career Sacks
Like Simpkins above, defensive tackle Mark Messner holds a comfortable lead on Michigan's all-time sack list, racking up 36 from 1985-88. Defensive end Brandon Graham checks in second on the school's list, tallying 29.5 from 2006-09.
Defensive end James Hall (1996-99) is the only other Wolverine (outside of Graham and Messner) who has ever even registered 25 quarterback takedowns. A defensive player hoping to break Messner's record would have to average 9.5 sacks per season over a four-year tenure.
The Wolverines' sack leaders over the past five years have only averaged eight per season. It's also worth noting that Messner holds the Michigan record for the most quarterback takedowns in one game, tallying five of them against Northwestern in 1987 (another feat that was incredibly close to making this list).
2. Tom Curtis' 10 Interceptions in 1968
The 10 interceptions that safety Tom Curtis racked up in 1968 will be one of the toughest defensive records ever to break at Michigan, with only three other occurrences in school history where a Wolverine recorded eight picks in a single year (Curtis had eight in 1969, Charles Woodson accumulated eight in 1997 and Chuck Lentz posted nine in 1949).
No player in college football has compiled 10 picks in a single year since Louisville's Gerod Holliman (14) and Ole Miss' Senquez Golson (10) each did so in 2014, while NC State's David Amerson (13 in 2011) is the only other player to have done so since 2010.
The most any Michigan player has tallied since 2009 was Blake Countess' six interceptions in 2013. Perhaps the most incredible aspect surrounding Curtis' record in 1968, however, is that he reeled in his 10 picks in just 10 games.
1. Tom Curtis' 25 Career Interceptions
We discussed the outstanding 1968 season Curtis had above, but his 1967 and 1969 campaigns were nearly as impressive. He intercepted seven passes in 1967 while playing under head coach Bump Elliott, including three in a 21-14 victory at Illinois on Nov. 11 (tied for the most ever in a single game at U-M).
Curtis added eight more picks as a senior in 1969 in Bo Schembechler's first season, including two in the famous 24-12 victory over No. 1 Ohio State. The Cleveland native also finished with 431 career interception yards on his resume, averaging 17.2 yards per return on his 25 picks.
Curtis later cited that his innate ability to intercept passes did not come from speed, but from the time he had spent as a quarterback prior to moving to defensive back. If a player ever hopes to break his career interceptions mark, they would have to average 6.3 picks per season over a four-year career.
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