In 1991, I started at the University of Michigan with the fab five. It was a pretty special time. It was the best recruiting class in recent memory (maybe ever). They were instant celebrities and you couldn’t miss them on campus – they were huge! It’s fair to assume that they probably weren’t that coachable, so they (pretty much) made it to the NCAA Finals two years in a row on their own. That’s incredible! But, the great thing about college is that everyone is forced to be one of the masses. I learned this on one ordinary afternoon. A very attractive African-American female friend and I were walking out of the Undergrad Library and on the way back to the dorms. From across the diag, I heard a crowd chanting something. I didn’t think anything about it, but my friend was distracted. I asked what was wrong and she said they were chanting at her. I looked closer and saw that it was Jowan Howard and his crew chanting, “Sell Out! Sell Out!” I had to laugh: future NBA star Jowan Howard was preoccupied with little ole’ Me! I smiled all the way back to the dorms. I think I may have even held her hand …

Category: College Stories // MI Schools