Michigan's Mike Sainristil Returned To Ann Arbor For All The Right Reasons
From wide receiver to defensive back, Michigan's Mike Sainristil has certainly made his mark on the football program in Ann Arbor. After putting his name on the map as a solid defender in 2022, Sainristil had a decision to make - enter his name in the NFL draft, or return to Michigan for a fifth season.
After much thought and careful consideration, Sainristil chose Michigan once again.
"Year after year, Ann Arbor is always ranked top-three as a college town," Sainrstil said in a recent interview. "The people here are great, you walk around and everyone is nice to you. Ann Arbor is home to me.
I love my teammates, coach Harbaugh - my football Dad - was giving me the opportunity to leave, I said, 'no dad, I want to stay home.'"
Although Sainristil is clearly enjoying all that Ann Arbor has to offer, the ultimate deciding factor for a return to Michigan was to gain another year of experience - and to win a national championship in the process.
"I had the option to leave and enter my name in the NFL draft, but I decided to stay, and I did that because I felt like my time here wasn't done," Sainristil said. "I had one year of defense, I wanted more experience on defense and to put more on film. Lastly, I just want to win a national championship with my teammates. We've gotten the taste of what being in that position feels like, and I just feel like there's more we can do - there's a gap that we can still fill. So I just ultimately knew that the best decision would have been coming back."
The opportunity to spend another year in Ann Arbor, to continue his education at a world-class university, to continue building on the bonds he's created with his teammates and his coaches, and ultimately the opportunity to win a national championship - all compelling reasons for a return to Michigan.
"When I hear that phrase, 'those who stay will be champions,' I think of people who buy into this program. It's more than just sports, it's more than just football when you're here. There's a brotherhood here, my teammates, my coaches, it's a lifetime bond. I wanted to play football here, I want to get the best education possible. So, coming back, I get to continue doing that and I get to do whatever it takes to help this team be what it can be."
