More music at Michigan football practice adds some 'juice'
Former Michigan Wolverines football head coach Jim Harbaugh took the microphone and sang Gordon Lightfoot’s Edmund Fitzgerald on the bus ride home from a 49-0 beatdown of Michigan State, is a known Drake fanatic and once starred in a music video himself. He was not, however, a fan of music at practice.
In recent years, Harbaugh loosened up his stance, playing some music during warmups and other portions of practice, including during Michigan’s ‘Beat Ohio’ drill — a 9-on-7 period of smash-mouth football.
With Harbaugh back in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers, Michigan has moved on to a new era with head man Sherrone Moore. It just so happens this one is similar to the last one. When asked the differences within the program from Harbaugh to Moore, senior fullback Max Bredeson — a potential captain — sat without an answer for over 10 seconds, before using his silence as an argument that there aren’t many.
Music playing during most of practice, though, is one of those differences.
“More music at practice,” Moore said. “Coach didn’t play music at practice. I’m guessing the Chargers are finding that out now.”
The Chargers sure are, with that being one of the notable omissions from OTA practices. Music was previously a staple at Los Angeles practices, according to reporters who cover the franchise.
“There was no music,” NFL Network’s Bridget Condon said in May. “In every other Chargers practice that I’ve been to before without Jim Harbaugh, they played a lot of music. So that’s an interesting note.”
While it’s not something that has drastically impacted Michigan’s practices, players have embraced the change.
“We’ve had music in the past, but it seems like there’s always some music going on now, which is good,” junior tight end Colston Loveland said. “It gets it hectic, it gets it loud — which we’re going to have a lot of loud games, defense and offense. Yeah, Coach Moore loves that music, for sure.”
Michigan junior cornerback Will Johnson is also a fan.
“I like it. It makes it a little more fun,” Johnson said. “It brings the energy, brings the juice a little bit more. But I don’t think it’s anything too different — just brings a little more juice.”
It’s unknown who picks the playlist, but Michigan players do have some input.
“We might get to throw a little song in there, throw a little idea, but we’re not too focused on it,” Johnson said. “When they play a good song, we definitely get hyped to it.”
Loveland said fall camp has been similar in general, including with a different practice schedule that includes the Wolverines hitting the field earlier in the day than before.
“It really hasn’t been a whole lot different,” the Michigan standout explained. “You know how fall camp is: We’re in here all the time. It hasn’t really been different.
“Practices have been good, physical practices, long. Building that callous, which has been great. Meetings have been great. It’s all kind of the same. The ball’s rolling right now; really haven’t skipped a beat on anything.”
