77 days until Michigan football: Trevor Keegan bet on himself in return for 2023 season
There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 2 opener against East Carolina. We’ll discuss current Michigan events, the upcoming season and/or take a look at a significant number that correlates with how many days remain until kickoff, whether it be a player’s jersey number, a year, a date, a score, etc.
Michigan Wolverines football graduate left guard Trevor Keegan could have entered the NFL Draft and been picked this spring. He went through the process of receiving feedback through the U-M staff and his agent, and while it was a “super hard” decision, he chose to come back and play one more season in a winged helmet.
“You can always bet on yourself,” Keegan said on the In The Trenches podcast of the conflicting feedback he received, “but I bet on myself to stay here another year.”
He and senior right guard Zak Zinter had a conversation after Michigan fell to TCU, 51-45, in the Fiesta Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal. That led to both deciding to return (Zinter would have been an even higher pick, perhaps).
“It was kind of our own decision, but after the TCU game on the field, I said, ‘We gotta come back and win a national championship,’” Keegan revealed. “I told him that, and he was like, ‘Yeah, we have to.’ That feeling alone, I couldn’t go out being a Michigan Wolverine with that feeling.
“It was definitely a motivating factor. In my opinion, my mentality was like, we’re gonna go to the national championship and play Georgia. The whole time, that’s what I was thinking.
“For that not to happen and our goals not to be achieved, it’s definitely a kick in the butt. But you just gotta come back, get with the guys, keep working and get to that goal.”
He also has some personal goals, wanting to improve in a number of areas, but the motivating factor was Michigan getting over the hump and winning a national championship.
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Keegan discussed that further on his episode of ‘Those Who Stay,’ a series that Michigan football social channels are releasing on seven Wolverines who decided to come back for the 2023 campaign.
“I love to win,” Keegan said. “I’m very competitive, and if you’re playing this game and you’re not winning, it’s not worth it. My decision to return was because I just want to win a national championship.
“My parents both worked really hard to get me where I am. They showed me the blue collar mentality, care for others, to do everything the right way. And for me, I’m just personally self-drive. I feel like all that combined, you’re going to be successful in life.”
Michigan football countdown to kickoff
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