LOOK: Cade McNamara gifts Christmas present to Michigan offensive line
Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara wanted to let his offensive line know he appreciates them. And what better way to do that with a Christmas present?
Winters can be brutally cold in Michigan, and having a heavy coat is essential. So McNamara partnered with Carhartt to provide personalized coats to each member of the Wolverines offensive line. The coats come with each player’s jersey number stitched on the inside.
The Wolverines might not need the jackets when they travel south to Miami for the Orange Bowl, where the weather will certainly be warmer. However, they’ll get plenty of opportunities to use them once they return home.
Michigan finished the season at No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings. It will face Georgia in a semifinal game at 7:30 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve.
Cade McNamara certainly has much to thank his offensive line for after their performance this season. The Wolverines rank second in the country in sack rate, allowing a sack on just 2.4% of quarterback dropbacks.
That has enabled the junior quarterback to limit his mistakes and take his time finding open receivers. He has accumulated 2,470 yards passing, 15 touchdowns and thrown just four interceptions in 2021.
Not many gave the Wolverines a chance to make the Playoff, but that never deterred the Jim Harbaugh-led team from believing. They defeated rival Ohio State for the first time since 2011 behind three sacks from defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. They then held Iowa without a touchdown in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Hutchinson went on to finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting, a testament to the talent on the Wolverines defense. In Georgia, they will run into another defensive stalwart, so McNamara’s offensive production could be a key factor in the Orange Bowl.
He knows he’ll need his offensive line to come up big as well, so perhaps the Christmas coats can provide some added motivation.