U-M's Dave Brandon, Mark Harmon celebrate Tom Harm...: The Michigan AD and the son of the legendary Wolverine talk about the former Heisman Trophy winner, who was honored at Saturday's game against Notre Dame. Video by Mark Snyder/DFP
Gibbs (Mark Harmon, right) heads to Mexico where he meets up with Mexican justice official Alejandro Rivera (Marco Sanchez, left), on the seventh season finale of 'NCIS.' / CBS
Former University of Michigan runner, Tom Harmon. / Vic Stein
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Michigan wanted Saturday night to be historic.
With one decision, it’ll be a night and a moment talked about all season.
Honoring possibly the program’s greatest player, 1940 Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon, U-M put No. 98 back in circulation, giving it to quarterback Devin Gardner.
Giving it to a quarterback may seem unusual but, by giving the spotlight number to the most important and visible player on the field, it will remain a discussion all season.
“It's difficult to say how honored I am to wear No. 98," Gardner said in a released statement. "You see Tom Harmon photos and prints all over our building, knowing all of the things he accomplished on the field for this program and then representing our country, and to have the opportunity to speak to his family today, it's kind of surreal.”
Gardner started his career as No. 7, switched to No. 12 and now will wear No. 98.
"I think it's fitting for a quarterback at Michigan to bring this number back into circulation,” U-M coach Brady Hoke said in a release. “I am proud of Devin in a lot of ways, how much he's grown, sticking with this program and graduating in three years being among them. He's earned the right to wear this number, and I know he will represent it well."
Though Tom Harmon died in 1990, his son Mark Harmon, a former UCLA quarterback and the well-known actor who stars on the CBS show “NCIS,” was on hand Saturday.
“My father would be only proud,” Mark Harmon said in a press conference before Saturday’s Michigan-Notre Dame game. “He’d be embarrassed, but he’d be proud. Embarrassed because he was a humble man and he thought no one did it alone…. For Michigan, it’s an important day in recognizing my dad, both deserved. There wasn’t anything my dad did in his life that didn’t have the word Michigan attached to it.”
He said his father talked as much about 1940’s only loss – a 7-6 defeat to Minnesota where Harmon missed the extra point – as he did about his 33 touchdowns.
The family also donated a massive amount of Tom Harmon memorabilia to the University’s Bentley Historical Library.
“As long as I’m here representing my dad, as long as it stays about him, everything’s good,” Harmon said. “He was an honorable guy and he certainly had a career here that made an impact. But he represented much more to me and to our family. This was just one of the things he did. He was a father, he was a family guy… To be present today or next week when you turn on the TV and see what this represents I think is important.”
Mark Harmon had his own athletic feats playing quarterback for the Bruins in 1972-73.
His second game of the 1972 season was against the Wolverines in Los Angeles, but Harmon said he doesn’t remember much from the 26-9 U-M win after being knocked out early in the game.
Brandonsaid the research for Saturday’s presentation created a number of previously unknown facts, including some interviews from other sports legends, including Ted Williams and Ben Hogan.
Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark__snyder.
