The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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I *heart* Hart, too
Jerry Hinnen
PUBLISHED: October 25, 2007
As a card-carrying fan of a Southeastern Michigan Conference football team -- as in college football, Saline fans, sorry for any confusion -- I'm technically not supposed to express any kind of admiration or envy for Big 10 programs or anything associated with them. They'll revoke my membership, honest.
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But a week ago last Saturday, I paid my second visit to the Big House and caught Michigan blast an awful Purdue team and, well, yes, there was some envying on my part.
The slow-mo and hyper-speed waves started by the U of M student section, for instance, were fun. The respect shown by the Wolverine crowd for the Michigan band and the band, drum major, and color guard alumni back for Homecoming was great to see; the band often seems to be an afterthought down South. And Auburn fans like myself haven't seen the kind of beautiful deep balls tossed by Chad Henne that day for several years.
But more than anything, I envy Mike Hart, and I envy Michigan fans that they get to like a player so much.
Because like him, you folks most certainly do. Trying to count the number of "20" jerseys and Hart-related T-shirts that passed me as I tailgated and then headed into the stadium would have been impossible. His pre-game introduction was greeted with a roar. His departure with an ugly-looking limp to the sidelines was met with audible cries of anguish and, among the U of M students, where I was located, genuine despair.
My inner cynic wants to mock this kind of affection: he's one player on a team of dozens; he gets hurt too often; it helps that he has a good QB; geez, guys, he's just a football player.
But the truth is that my outer football fan — even if he does hail from SEC country — knows that Mike Hart isn't just a football player. He's an outstanding football player, the kind who makes the ridiculous run he made against Purdue (the one, you remember, where he spun off a defender's back and popped up into the end zone before anyone even realized he'd never been tackled) a run-of-the-mill occurrence.
What's most special about Hart, and what explains the endless outpouring of love for him, is how little natural talent he really possesses. I'm not saying Hart is untalented; his sense of balance, his footwork, and his vision are all near-unparalleled in current college football.
But his physical gifts are lacking. He does not have sprinter's speed. He is often the smallest player on the field for either team. He is not built like a train, not capable of knocking defenders over like bowling pins.
What Mike Hart does have is a willingness to play every single play like it's the last one he will ever enjoy. His opponents may run faster, but they do not run harder. They may be stronger physically, but they are simply not as strong mentally. They work hard. But they do not work as hard as Mike Hart.
And so it's more than understandable why Michigan loves him so much. Hart plays as if he loves the game as much as the fans do; he runs as if he understands more than most how quickly these opportunities will slip away, how soon his knees will be tray him and his days as a Wolverine hero will be done.
Which is why I am also envious of the high school athletes and coaches who have had the privilege of watching him for these last four years. After his willingness to return for his senior season and leadership in the wake of the loss to Appalachian State, nowhere is there a better example of commitment to his team. After seeing him shoot up the Heisman Watch lists, nowhere is there a better example of how hard work and effort can pay off, even for those who aren't as talented.
We can't all be Mike Hart. But we can all learn something from watching him, and I hope our area high school athletes do.
Heck, even I learned something — that I could openly envy a Big 10 team and not feel the least bit guilty about it.
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