Michigan Television to air 'Michigan Football Memories' Sept. 16

Many fans at Michigan Stadium can tell you everything you want to know about the past 25 years of U-M football—names like Harbaugh and Carter, Howard and Woodson, and the dream season of the 1997 national championship.

All-America wide receiver Desmond Howard makes "The Catch" versus Notre Dame in 1991. The diving reception, one of the Wolverine football memories documented in a new DVD airing at 8 p.m. Sept. 16 on many Michigan public television stations, launched Howard's Hesiman Trophy campaign. (Photo courtesy Bentley Historical Library)

But there's much more to 125 years of Michigan football, and many of those stories and images are available in a new documentary premiering this month.

"Michigan Football Memories" is a program that features a unique, behind-the-scenes look inside the game day experience. It includes stories about the legendary names in Michigan football history.

Crews spent the 2003 regular season documenting every facet of the Wolverines' march to the Big Ten Conference championship, while at the same time interviewing more than 20 former coaches and players and fans.

Public television stations across the state will broadcast the documentary at 8 p.m. Sept 16. Produced by Michigan Television, WFUM-TV in Flint—U-M's public television station—and HKO Media, "Michigan Football Memories" also will be available on DVD as part of Michigan Television's 2004 fall pledge drive.

"'Michigan Football Memories' is not about where we are now, it's about where we came from," says Bill Martin, director of intercollegiate athletics. "For a lot of people, names like Yost and Crisler are just names on a building. But this video does a great job of reminding everybody of exactly who all these great coaches and players were who brought us here."

Based on legendary Wolverine football broadcaster Bob Ufer's quote that Michigan Stadium is "the hole that Yost dug, Crisler paid for, Canham carpeted and Schembechler filled every Saturday in the fall," "Michigan Football Memories" features a segment on these legendary names.

The documentary also explores the stories behind the cornerstones of the Michigan tradition: Michigan Stadium, "The Victors," the Michigan Marching Band and the winged helmet.

"For me, 'Michigan Football Memories' is not just about football," says Harvey Ovshinsky, the documentary's co-executive producer. "It's about the community of Michigan football. It's about what brings all of these people together to connect and share in this amazing, exhilarating experience week after week, year after year, generation after generation."

Narrated by Michigan Radio and Michigan Television's Todd Mundt, the documentary includes interviews with former players and coaches such as Bo Schembechler, Jim Brandstatter, Bob Chappuis, Jamie Morris, Reggie McKenzie and Bump Elliot, as well as former athletic director Don Canham and current head coach Lloyd Carr.

Jay Nelson, station manager at WFUM-TV in Flint, came up with the concept for the film. "This is a project I've wanted to do for years," Nelson says.

Michigan alumni Oliver Thornton and Alex Wright are co-producers.

DVDs of "Michigan Football Memories," including bonus features with rare archival footage and team statistics, will be available at the M-Den On the Fifty inside the stadium after Sept. 14, as well as retail stores across the state. It also is available for online purchase at http://www.michiganfootballmemories.com.