In
an attempt to show off their academic distinction, universities around
the country often market themselves as the Harvard of their geographic
region.
In scholarly circles, Stanford lays claim to the title of Harvard of the (Far) West, Montreal's McGill University is occasionally referred to as the Harvard of the North and as for the Harvard of the South … well, some labels would just be oxymoronic. (Just kidding, you alums of Vanderbilt, Rice or Duke.)
In his historic 2 a.m. speech on the steps of the University of Michigan Union on Oct. 14, 1960 announcing the creation of the Peace Corps, then-Senator John F. Kennedy
referred to his alma mater of Harvard as "the Michigan of the East," in
turn lending credence to the Ann Arbor-based academic and athletic
power as the Harvard of the West.
But Harvard-related hyperbole wasn’t on the menu for highly recruited, three-star Texas high school prospect Holmes Onwukaife. No, Holmes had a real decision to make.
See, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound defensive end/linebacker doesn’t just
excel on the gridiron, but in the classroom as well, sporting a 3.3 GPA
and 1340 on his SAT to go along with his 4.51 forty time and 315-pound
bench press.
As such, Onwukaife has seen interest from both football powerhouses
like UCLA, Missouri and Maryland and educational giants like Michigan,
Rice and… yep, Harvard.
But the senior-to-be reportedly made his decision this week, committing to the Wolverines.
"He's an intriguing prospect," says "Touch the Banner," a Michigan
football blog, "because he's so raw — he could be great or he could
never see the field. Here's hoping it's the former."
But whether or not he leads the Wolverines back to the Rose Bowl, it's clear that Onwukaife has his priorities in order.
"I sat down with my family and we decided that Michigan is the best place for me," he told Tom Van Haaren of mgoblog.com.
"It's got the best mix of academics and football. It's a great school,
with great tradition." The players Onwukaife talked to "all had the
same message, that it's just a family once you're there. You're part of
something special, and the University really wants you to succeed
academically."
I guess there’s something to be said for being the Tedy Bruschi of the classroom.
