Michigan Wolverines Football: 30 greatest players of all-time

Born in Ann Arbor, Rick Leach was destined to play quarterback at the University of Michigan. After an All-State career at Flint Southwest High School in Flint, Michigan, that is where he ended up.

The team’s starting quarterback from 1975 to 1978, Leach started his first collegiate game as an 18-year old. By the time he was done playing, he had become the best quarterback in program history.

Leach played under Bo Schembechler during his time at Michigan and was able to do so much with the football in his hand. He was the kind of quarterback that could hurt you with his arm, or his legs. He led the team to 10-2 records in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. As a senior, he was one of the best players in all of college football.

That year, Leach was named the Big Ten’s Most Valuable Player, while also garnering All-American honors. In addition, he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, while shattering nearly every Michigan passing record. He was named a First-Team All-Big Ten selection three times and became the first FBS player to pass for 200 points and score 200 points.

While he was an incredible football player, he was also an outstanding baseball player, being named an All-American in  both sports. He decided to play baseball professional after his college career, playing most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1980s. However, one has to think how he would have fared if he signed with the NFL’s Denver Broncos, who drafted him in 1979.