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WATCH: Aidan Hutchinson shares his favorite Jim Harbaugh story

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•02/09/22•

BarkleyTruax

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Michigan football defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was a crucial piece for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan in 2021. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Former Michigan football star Aidan Hutchinson shared his favorite story about Wolverine head coach Jim Harbaugh to Sports Illustrated Wednesday.

“There are a lot of stories about about coach [Jim] Harbaugh, and I think the the weirdest one with me — it’s pretty funny — is when I when I got injured, and I broke my ankle in the in the Indiana game when I was when I was a junior and I was sitting there laying on the ground, I was hurting,” Hutchinson told SI. “I didn’t know I broke my ankle at the time, but I was holding it. I was moving, and I see coach Harbaugh; he steps up above me and he leans down and he asked me, ‘did you tape your ankles today?’ And I had to I had to say no, because I didn’t, so it was a little bit embarrassing, but that was a very coach Harbaugh-esque sort of story, and it was it was pretty funny looking back in hindsight, just how blunt he was about it.”

Hutchinson was a force to be reckoned with this season, finishing with a program-record 14 sacks and 74 quarterback pressures. Former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s system helped him play a rush linebacker role for the first time in his career, proving his scheme versatility and it’s paying off in regard to his draft status.

Hutchinson was the No. 105 overall player in the country and a four-star prospect in the 2018 class, according to the On3 consensus. He was a team captain and led the Wolverines to their first win over Ohio State since 2011. They would follow that up the next week with the program’s first Big Ten Championship since 2004 in a 42-3 win over Iowa. His final stat line reads 62 total tackles, 14 sacks (program record), three passes defended and two forced fumbles.

Hutchinson would spend the next few weeks racking up awards from all over the country. He was a consensus first-team All-American and All-Big Ten performer, the Rotary Lombardi Award winner, the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year and finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy race. He also won the Lott IMPACT Trophy, Ted Hendricks Award and Big Ten Championship game MVP.

Hutchinson is a near-lock to go in the top five picks in the draft assuming he stays healthy and tests well. Most mock drafts have him as either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick.