#university of michigan football

The University of Michigan football team kicks off its season this weekend, so we’re looking back to when Gerald Ford was a member of the squad.

Ford attended the University of Michigan from 1931 to 1935 and he played as a center and linebacker for the Wolverines. In his first year there he won the Meyer Morton Trophy, which was given to the outstanding freshman player in spring practice. Ford played on the University’s national championship teams in 1932 and 1933. He saw limited action on the field those years, however, since Michigan already had an All-American center, Chuck Bernard, in its starting lineup. Ford became the starting center his senior year and was voted Most Valuable Player.

While at Michigan Ford wrote to Frederica “Freddy” Pantlind, a friend and neighbor from his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. His letter from September 17, 1933, describes life as a student-athlete at the beginning of football season his junior year.

“You should thank your lucky stars you’re not a would be athlete. Between the weather, the coaches and my own wretched condition, the afternoons are long the hours for sleep too short,” he wrote, later adding that "Herm Everhardus [a friend and football teammate] and myself just had a couple of bottles of beer a piece, and did they ever taste good after drinking milk (and that’s all) at the training table.”

Ford closes the letter with the note that “Even though it is Sat. night, it is just about my bedtime, as we have practice tomorrow (Sun) and besides I can’t afford to miss breakfast at 8:30, so I’d better cease my pen pushing for the evening.”

Images: Gerald R. Ford, Jr., Holding a Trophy with University of Michigan Football Teammate Herman Everhardus, 1932 (National Archives Identifier 186983)

Letter from Gerald Ford to Frederica Pantlind (3 pages), 9/17/1933 (National Archives Identifier 6200861)