Barrett discussed the Wolverines, their departing coaches, the surviving coaches and culture, and the swarm of Michigan players wanting to make their NFL Draft dreams come true this spring, including himself.
Indianapolis — Michael Barrett’s time at Michigan has been quite the adventure. Barrett’s trip has been the longest of any player in Wolverine history, with 64 games played and 52 wins.
Barrett returned to Indianapolis this week to participate in interviews at the NFL scouting combine. Part of the week featured a wide-ranging interview with reporters, in which he discussed the Wolverines, their departing coaches, the remaining coaches and culture, and the swarm of Michigan players wanting to make their NFL Draft dreams come true this spring, including himself.
See what he had to say about everything below.
In the pre-draft process
It’s a bit chaotic, but it’s a blessing. It is a blessing to be here. It’s a blessing to be a part of this, and it feels wonderful. Just knowing that every hour of my hard work, which I’ve put in since I was a child, is about to pay off. And, you know, this is a bizarre experience. Just being present at this moment. So this is wonderful.
Regarding the Michigan representation in Indianapolis.
Yes, sure. Man. With how many guys we had here, I felt like we were back in Schembechler Hall, just crossing paths in the hallways or walking together. So it’s absolutely a comfort to have all of my brothers that I’ve been playing with throughout the years present in this time.
What 18 invitees say about the Wolverines.
It just demonstrates the type of people we had on the team. Just demonstrates that… Natty champs. We are national champs for a reason. So I felt like it just displayed the full expression of that.
On participating in the most wins in Michigan football history.
With Michigan’s rich history and all of its alumni, being the winner is an incredible experience. Just thinking about all the greats who came in and left, man. Then I can say I’ve won more than any of them at Michigan, which is a terrific feeling.
what he wants to show teams ahead of the draft.
To demonstrate my physical toughness, resilience, and mental toughness. I feel like I exhibited a lot of myself throughout my time at Michigan. I just demonstrated my versatility and ability to conquer almost any obstacle. With God in my corner, I believe I can overcome any obstacle.
I believe there was a significant cultural shift. I felt like once the season started, the men who were there, the guys who stayed, and we all agreed that wasn’t the legacy we wanted to leave. That wasn’t the tradition or the way Michigan is, so we kind of got together after that season and just kept growing and grinding. We knew what kind of team we had, and who was in that building. And we simply had to go out there and continue to demonstrate that. So throughout the last few years, I feel like it’s just been, you know, a manifestation of that.
Regarding a strange Jim Harbaugh story
It was wild. I haven’t thought about it in a long, but when he was recruiting me, he paid an official visit to my house, and my mother had bought pizza, and I believe we had three bosses, and he had an entire box. He was like, ‘Yeah guy, I’ve been flying all over the place and I’m sort of hungry,’ and he ate the entire box. So it was the first thing that sprang to mind, but it was also all of the stories he had, as well as the strange little things he said every day. I can’t remember one of them right now, but he always says something.
Regarding Harbaugh’s personality
He is exactly the type of man he is. He and his family are all down-to-earth people. Mr. Jack and his siblings, all of them, are the kinds of guys we want to play for, according to the player’s coach. And you can almost feel his affection for the men in the room. He’s obviously more down-to-earth. When you have a guy like him who can just sit there and chat and laugh all the time, it makes it a lot more comfortable and simpler to play.
On Junior Colson.
Yes, man. His journey from Haiti, everything he’s been through, especially during his profession. I knew he was the type of guy who had that passion, that determination, and the way he worked on a daily basis. He couldn’t accept no for an answer. It’s just his competitive personality. He was out there playing with two clubs, and when I told him I needed to sit down, he said, ‘no.’
So it’s simply his toughness, man. He’s as tough as nails, and he won’t take no for an answer. And I love it.
This is exactly what I can bring. I can add diversity and instinctiveness to a defense. I believe that the way I see an offense allows me to add value on defense and special teams. I used to play a lot of special teams. And I believe special teams account for around one-third of the game. And I believe I can make an impact early on special teams, on defense, and bring an extra level of confidence. But, sure, it’s simply my versatility in terms of playing inside. I can blitz and cover. And there aren’t many inside backers who can do all of that.
