About that AC opener (m)

Posted on August 31, 2026 at 03:24:31 PM by Spirit (edited August 31, 2026 at 03:26:01 PM)

We had family season tickets and I got to go to almost every game. My mom & dad took another couple and I did not get to attend that game. My birthday is in September and I had asked for a #7 Michigan jersey. Rick Leach had been my idol playing at Flint Southwestern and at Michigan. I was promised they would come home with a #7 Michigan jersey.

Game quality jerseys were hard to come by then. You had to go to Stein & Goetz (downtown AA) where the team jerseys at the time were made. Anyway, after the game my parents stopped at Stein & Goetz to buy the jersey before going out to dinner with their friends.

Later that night my parents arrived home and I ran out to meet them when their car pulled into the drive (a gigantic Buick Lesabre or Park Avenue, I forget which). My mom handed me the Stein and Gates bag. I ripped it open only to see a #1 jersey. I must have looked stunned. I had wanted a "real" #7 Michigan jersey for Rick's entire Michigan career. I had no idea who #1 was and no memory of any non-kicker Michigan player being #1.

My dad said these exact words "trust me David, you are going to be glad we got you the #1 jersey". They walked into Stein & Goetz amd my dad saw the lone #1 jersey laying on the counter. After Carter's dynamic first game he made the decision to forego the #7 and to get me the #1 instead.

Great decision, love you dad!

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Thread:

Post some favorite memories from an opener - By Paul August 31, 2026 at 03:06:26 PM
- 1997 Colorado - By MichiUte August 31, 2026 at 04:14:15 PM
- September 8th, 2001.* - By Alpo August 31, 2026 at 03:57:29 PM
  - Roc?!? * - By Rabbit August 31, 2026 at 04:12:25 PM
    - Omare Lowe blocked two kicks and had a pick-6. All Roc had to do was run.* - By Alpo August 31, 2026 at 04:20:37 PM
      - Yeah, what a fluky series that was. They should have won in Seattle and we should have won in Ann Arbor. * - By Rabbit August 31, 2026 at 04:37:47 PM
  - UNCW, Hank amd my birthday. EvilEmpire as well, maybe * - By Spirit August 31, 2026 at 04:09:38 PM
- 1995 Michigan - UVA - By Tait August 31, 2026 at 03:47:15 PM
  - remind me of the 1986 Michigan, Iowa game that wasn’t being shown in Jackson Mississippi so I went and watched it in a satellite owner shop and there was nobody in the store and he close the store and let me stay and continue to watch the game, even though we lost it was fantastic that he let me do - By sim August 31, 2026 at 05:52:43 PM
  - I was at that 1995 UVa game with my parents ... - By Cutter August 31, 2026 at 04:12:57 PM
  - Man those local affiliates had some nerve back in the day* - By Daytripper August 31, 2026 at 03:48:46 PM
- 2002, the Brabbs kick UM game. I hooked up with some UM cutie the night before on a road trip from Kzoo - By Daytripper August 31, 2026 at 03:43:25 PM
- 1999 against Notre Dame - By GritsGoBlue August 31, 2026 at 03:40:48 PM
  - I remember watching this game. I was 19… - By ameriKa August 31, 2026 at 03:56:19 PM
- Denard in 2009 against WMU...(17 seconds in-can't figure out how to post partway in like before)... - By ajs August 31, 2026 at 03:39:57 PM
- Denard's first snap against Western Michigan - By Jebello August 31, 2026 at 03:37:05 PM
  - minor nit...first snap at QB* - By ajs August 31, 2026 at 03:52:46 PM
- My dad wasn't/isn't a sports fan. One year he got offered two tickets to a game and accepted them because he knew I was an emerging fan... - By Poster P August 31, 2026 at 03:30:45 PM
- About that AC opener (m) - By Spirit August 31, 2026 at 03:24:31 PM
  - Great story . . . not sure about this but I don't think any WRs anywhere wore #1 before AC, and he made it into a huge thing, not just at Michigan but everywhere* - By Paul August 31, 2026 at 03:27:14 PM
    - Correct. The player who wore 1 the season before was kicker Greg Willner. I don't know if we had a 1 before that* - By Rich August 31, 2026 at 03:30:51 PM
      - Apparently Harry Kipke wore #1 as well as 2 OL, Angus Goetz and Robert Dunne * - By Spirit August 31, 2026 at 03:58:02 PM
- the 2006 opener was interesting (27-7 over Vanderbilt). there was some bald meathead from ND who thought Michigan totally disgraced itself - By Nikos August 31, 2026 at 03:22:43 PM
- Dreisbach to Hayes with only seconds left in the victory over Virginia (‘95) capping a 17-pt comeback* - By AuntLilly August 31, 2026 at 03:19:08 PM
  - That's my pick, as well. Made possible by a heady play from Tyrone Butterfield* - By Ypsi August 31, 2026 at 03:37:21 PM
    - Tyrone Butterfingers' finest moment* - By ajs August 31, 2026 at 04:03:04 PM
  - How could I forget that. Was incredible finish* - By Rich August 31, 2026 at 03:19:35 PM
- 1985 ND. Felt like we were back after an off year. And we were. Similar feeling in 2021 vs WMU to a lesser extent. Also 2016 - By Rich August 31, 2026 at 03:17:38 PM
  - Yeah Miami was ranked #1 going into that game; it turned out to be the worst Miami team in about a 15 year stretch but nobody knew that then - By Paul August 31, 2026 at 03:20:42 PM
    - mostly correct - By Rich August 31, 2026 at 03:30:13 PM
- newly minted starter Denard vs UConn 2010, "that's six" * - By Nikos August 31, 2026 at 03:15:00 PM
- 2002 vs Washington. Brabbs from 44 at the buzzer after he and Nienberg were 0-3 to that point (27, 36, 42)* - By Eric August 31, 2026 at 03:13:36 PM
  - I was petrified along w everyone else Im sure when he went out there. Obviously we all went ape shit.* - By ameriKa August 31, 2026 at 03:58:57 PM
  - This is the choice for me as well. My first real Michigan football memory and one that got me hooked* - By KeiTh August 31, 2026 at 03:43:29 PM
- I posted about my favorite a couple weeks ago. Colorado in ‘97… - By Craig August 31, 2026 at 03:09:54 PM

The Victors

About that AC opener (m)