Wally Pipp'd, David Underwood Passes Life Lessons On To Texas Athletes
A top recruit out of Madisonville, Texas, David Underwood jumped on the chance to play for Michigan, having grown up watching the Fab Five and Michigan's 1997 National Champion football team.
He dreamt of becoming the next great Maize and Blue tailback and arrived in Ann Arbor as part of a great 2001 class that included Braylon Edwards, Marlin Jackson, Tim Massaquoi, Ernest Shazor and Pierre Woods among others.
For three seasons, Underwood bided his time, first backing up BJ Askew and then Chris Perry for two seasons. He was Michigan's No. 2 ball carrier on the 2003 Big Ten Championship team, rushing for 270 yards and two scores. A consummate teammate, Underwood cheered for Perry's successes, as the Wolverines' starter rushed for 1,674 yards and 18 touchdowns, including two TDs in a 35-21 win over Ohio State, en route to the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back.
Finally, in 2004, Underwood got his big break, starting at tailback against Miami (Ohio) and Notre Dame. In that ND game, however, Underwood suffered a nasty hit, getting a concussion that would effectively shut him down for much of the rest of the season. In his place, rookie tailback Mike Hart emerged, setting a Michigan freshman rushing record with 1,455 yards.
While he didn't understand at first why this was happening, Underwood soon embraced his mentorship and leadership roles, and once again became the ultimate teammate for his Wolverine brethren. It is a life lesson Underwood has continued to use as a mentor for student-athletes in his native Texas.
In this interview, Underwood reflects back on his journey to Ann Arbor, his career at Michigan and the injury that cut it short, but on the legacy he left behind and continues to enhance in his day-to-day life 15 years later.
