| This
is what appeared in the 1975 University of Michigan Gridiron Guide about
incoming freshman Rick Leach:
RICK
LEACH QB 6-1 180 Flint (Southwestern), MI
Now this is quite interesting considering how talented & heralded Leach was as an incoming freshman. Here was a three sport All-Stater and a High School All-American quarterback (can you say Drew Henson?) and this short little blurb is all that was written about the Guts ‘n Glue. I think the sign of the times is best described in the August 3, 1998 issue of Sports Illustrated. In an article titled Golden Boy, Leigh Montville wrote this about the highly touted Drew Henson: “There was a time when an athletic phenom from high school From the 1976 University of Michigan Gridiron Guide: 7
RICK LEACH, QB, 6-1, 180, So., Flint...Left-handed
quarterback...first freshman in ‘M’ history to open season at QB... did
fine job at difficult position despite inexperience... ran for 490 yards
and 5 TDs despite not having been running QB in high school...threw for
647 yards, including school-record 83 yard TD pass to Jim Smith against
Purdue...High School All-American...All-State in football, baseball, and
basketball at Southwestern H.S. ...played on ‘M’ baseball team in spring...led
Connie Mack team to national title in 1974...father Richard former catcher
at ‘M’ and now athletic director for Flint schools...uncle Bob also ‘M’
baseball letterwinner...Education School...born 5-4-57.
From the 1977 Michigan Football Gridiron Guide: 7
RICK LEACH, QB, 6-1, 180, Jr., Flint
...Consensus All-Big Ten, first frosh at ‘M’ ever to start season at QB...after two seasons ranks 9th among ‘M’ total offense leaders with 2843 yards,
should become all-time leader during ’77 season...averaged record 7.4 yards
per play (pass & rush) as soph...led Big Ten passers in percentage
(.559), yards per pass (11.4) and TD passes (10), has school record 83-yard
TD pass...led baseball team in hitting as frosh (.345) and soph (.316),
co-MVP...father Dick former ‘M’ baseball catcher, now athletic director
for Flint schools...Education School...born 5-4-57.
From the 1978 Michigan Football Gridiron Guide: RICK LEACH, QB, 6-1, 192, Sr., Flint, Mi.
...All-Big Ten for two seasons, second team All-American in ’77, received votes in Heisman Trophy balloting for two years, voted Big Ten’s Player of the Week twice last season...’M’s’ all-time leader in passing yards (3001), TD passes (31), TOTAL OFFENSE (4566), TDs running (22) and TDs accounted for (53)...passed for 239 yards and 2 TDs in ’78 Rose Bowl...his 7.92 yards per pass is second best career mark at ‘M’...has averaged 6.33 yards per play, also second best in school history...his 83-yard TD pass is Michigan record...three-year starter as Michigan compiled a 28-3-2 regular season record...Schembechler says he’s “a quarterback without a weakness...the best all-around quarterback in college football”...named Big Ten’s Athlete of the Week last spring for his baseball hitting...also All-Big Ten in baseball, leading Wolverines in hitting for three straight seasons...Big Ten batting champ in 1978...three-sport all stater at Flint Southwestern High...father, Dick, former ‘M’ catcher, uncle, Bob, also former ‘M’ baseball player...Education School...born 5-4-57.
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