Don’t Try to Tell Michigan’s Mayes That His Season, Career Are Over

After Michigan linebacker Eric Mayes ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Oct. 4 against Indiana and underwent surgery, doctors told him his season was over. But Mayes, a senior and co-captain of the Wolverines, has other ideas.

Besides leading his team onto the field for Thursday’s Rose Bowl game and participating in the pregame coin flip, Mayes hopes to get into the game--even if it’s for only one play.

He has been whispering that suggestion into the ear of Coach Lloyd Carr, and he hopes to eventually wear Carr down.

“First of all, I want to make sure we’re in a situation where we’re winning at the time,” said Mayes, whose teammates think enough of him to have carried him off the field on their shoulders after their 20-12 victory over Ohio State on Nov. 22. “If I could do it, that would be an added plus. I just want to make sure we win.”

Mayes has remained active vocally, if not physically, during his recovery. He has been an unofficial cheerleader, coaxing and cajoling his teammates into making the effort necessary to defeat Washington State.

“Being on a football team is kind of like being in the Army,” said Mayes, who made the team as a walk-on before winning a starting spot. “I’ll take any role I can. There’s no place I’d rather be than here in California.”

Mayes, of Kalamazoo, Mich., got to see more of California than he expected when he and about 50 teammates piled into three vans Christmas Eve for a tour of the Los Angeles area. Their guide was wide receiver Russell Shaw, of Watts and Locke High.

“We went to SC and the Coliseum and we drove by some of Russell’s old neighborhoods,” Mayes said. “We hear so many stories about L.A., the City of Angels, and about California. It was great to see the city. It’s like any other place--it’s a nice place and I would tell people it’s something they would like to see.”

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Washington State’s vaunted offense will prompt the Wolverines to make some changes, Mayes said, but he’s not worried.

“No doubt our game plan has to make some adjustments because they have a four-receiver set and five-receiver set,” he said. “There’s been a lot of talk about Washington State’s offense, but there’s another offense in this game--the Michigan offense. We feel the most effective way to play defense against them is to keep our offense on the field as much as possible.”

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The Wolverines are relatively injury-free, with only junior free safety Daydrion Taylor listed as out of the Rose Bowl.

Taylor suffered a neck injury in a collision during Michigan’s game against Penn State on Nov. 8 and hasn’t played since. Running back Clarence Williams, who injured a hamstring Nov. 1 against Minnesota, and free safety DeWayne Patmon, who had a hairline leg fracture, are expected to play.

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Michigan ate less beef Friday than the 520 pounds consumed earlier in the week by Washington State at Lawry’s Beef Bowl, but nose guard Kyle Young and offensive lineman Paul Tannous each ate seven 16-ounce prime ribs before they were stopped by Carr.

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The Wolverines have moved their training site from Saddleback College to Citrus College. The field and weather conditions drew raves from players.