Wolverine Digest

Michigan Football: JJ McCarthy defends dynamic former teammate

Jerred Johnson|
Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

JJ McCarthy will forever be a Michigan man and a legend in Ann Arbor, that is not debatable. It also appears he has not fully relinquished his role as leader and protector of his former teammates. On Monday, McCarthy came to the defense of edge rusher Josaiah Stewart, who he feels was egregiously left off the All-American team.

Stewart terrorized quarterbacks all year to the tune of 33 tackles, 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. At times, he completely took over entire games and appeared to be unblockable. However, the All-American team voters did not see it that way, leaving him off all three teams. McCarthy shared an image to his IG story that simply stated "All-American- #snubbed"

Josaiah Stewart
JJ McCarthy says Josaiah Stewart "snubbed" in Instagram story | Barstool U of M

McCarthy also took to his IG story to commend Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Will Johnson for making the All-American team (1st team, and 3rd team for the latter two, respectively).

It's difficult to fathom what else Stewart could have done to earn All-American honors. However, it's clear he will channel this oversight as motivation to thrive at the next level. Presently, he's ranked between No. 12 and No. 14 among edge rushers in this year's draft, and between No. 40 and No. 45 overall on most NFL Draft boards. Throughout his college career, Stewart has been consistently underestimated, often deemed too small and slight to be effective. Yet, he has never allowed this to deter him, and it's unlikely he'll start heeding the skeptics now. A true underdog story.

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Jerred Johnson
JERRED JOHNSON

Jerred Johnson has served in the United States military for over 23 years. He has a Bachelors in Marketing, a Masters in Management and is in the final phases of completing his Doctorate in Business Administration.

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