No matter the circumstances, Desmond Howard would have been ecstatic about Michigan winning the national championship Monday night. Still, the fact he got to rub that win in the face of the program’s critics made everything that much sweeter.
Howard handles many duties with ESPN, including his role as an analyst with College GameDay. He has defended the Wolverines all season amid controversies that included the sign-stealing scandal and previous recruiting violations.
So for the Wolverines’ season to end with a perfect 15-0 mark and a national championship left Howard, one of the greatest players in Michigan football history, absolutely ecstatic.
And saying, “I told you so.”
“Man, it feels good because they had to deal with so much B.S. during the season,” Howard told SiriusXM after the game. “But you know, I told them when this whole Connor Stalions thing came out, I told them on GameDay … ‘Listen, the beautiful thing about this right now is there’s no more excuses for nobody.
“And at that point, they still had to play Purdue, they had to play Penn State, Maryland and Ohio State. Then they took care of Iowa, they took care of Alabama, and damn it — what did they do to Washington?
“No more excuses, right?”
https://twitter.com/SXMCollege/status/1744599888338563192
Howard, who won the 1991 Heisman Trophy as a wide receiver/returner at Michigan, tossed out some incredible sound bites this season in defending coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan. In early December, he called out an ESPN colleague for his criticism of the program, saying, “Paul Finebaum is a caricature of a caricature of Paul Finebaum.” That came just days after he called out fellow GameDay panelist Pete Thamel, who’d been critical of Michigan, for avoiding the crowd in Ann Arbor before the Ohio State-Michigan game.
“Put your big boy pants on and do it in the crowd like you have been,” Howard said.
Desmond Howard discussed Pete Thamel not being in the crowd. "I'm like, 'What the hell is Pete in the stadium for?' …Put your big boy pants on and do it in the crowd like you have been." Rece Davis then said "He's got, from the lunatic fringe, some threats." pic.twitter.com/yzWmeSK822
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 25, 2023
There were no epic sound bites Monday night, but Howard’s “No more excuses, right?” got the message across as he celebrated his alma mater’s national title.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.