Michigan football countdown to kickoff: 93 days until 2022 season

There’s much anticipation heading into the Michigan Wolverines football season, and TheWolverine.com is counting down the days until the Sept. 3 opener against Colorado State. We’ll discuss the current Michigan events, 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.

There are plenty of names from Michigan football history and the 1997 national title team that are recalled frequently. Sometimes linebacker Sam Sword, No. 93 on the defense, gets lost in the shuffle.

Sword was a product of Saginaw Arthur Hill High School and starred in three sports – football, basketball and baseball. He helped lead his team to a state championship during the 1991 season and was an all-state football player before enrolling at Michigan in 1994.

Sword, who stood at 6-1, 241 pounds, joined the program ahead of the 1994 season and redshirted. He would make his team debut in 1995, starting four games at inside linebacker. Sword broke out during the 1996 campaign, leading the team in tackles with 108 and starting 12 games.

Michigan’s team success reached its peak in Sword’s junior season. As a member of the 1997 national title-winning Wolverines, Sword started 11 games and had 91 tackles on a defense that led the country in points allowed (8.9 per game) and total yardage (206.9 per game). His play that year earned him first-team designation on the All-Big Ten squad.

Sword stands out as team leader

Sword was never a team captain, but still was one of the key figures from a leadership perspective. His presence was appreciated by those around him.

“Sam’s a great leader. He might be quiet around the media, but when he wants something done he lets people know,” defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann said, via the Toledo Blade’s archives. “Sam makes plays people don’t see, tackles inside. He’s what this defense needs.”

Sword’s 1998 season mostly lived up to the hype. He started 12 games and led the team with 127 total tackles. Sword was named second-team All-Big Ten by both coaches and media and was the second player in team history at the time to lead the team in tackles for three years in a row. Michigan finished the 1998 season with a 10-3 record.

Being the consummate team player, he threw praise the way of his defensive linemen for helping him get the job done during his career.

“A lot of guys get recognition, but you have to look at the guys who don’t like your defensive linemen,” he said. “They don’t get enough recognition. If it wasn’t for them, Sam Sword would be a mystery. Rob Renes takes a beating for me every play. It takes a great nose guard to stand in there and play like that. He gets double-teamed on about every play and that frees things up for me. The game goes of Josh Williams, Juaquin Feazell and James Hall.”

What happened next for the Michigan linebacker

Sword was a throwback linebacker for Michigan during his time in Ann Arbor, racking up 370 tackles in 39 starts to go with five pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and one interception. He loved the physicality of the game, and that has allowed him to leave a lasting mark on the program.

“I don’t want to sound conceited, but I think I’m pretty good,” he said prior to the 1998 season. “Maybe people don’t think I’m that good of a pass defender, but I like to stick my nose in there on running plays. I thrive on physical football. Big Ten style. I look forward to that week in and week out.”

Sword went undrafted in 1999 but joined the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent. He played in 10 games and made five starts that season before joining the Indianapolis Colts in 2000. Sword played 45 games in three seasons there before calling it quits in 2002. He finished his NFL career with 66 total tackles.