Michigan’s Jarrett Irons says that despite missing a bowl game for the second straight year, Michigan’s senior class needs to keep their heads up – especially DE Brandon Graham (run time is 5:38; transcript below the jump):
Lost Lettermen: This is Jim Weber from LostLettermen.com and I’m joined by Michigan’s Jarrett Irons.
Jarrett, could you talk about your reaction after the sixth-straight loss to Ohio State?
Jarrett Irons: You know it was a tough loss. We showed signs that we were improving in certain areas and yet again we showed other signs that we have work to do.
LL: Were you encouraged by the defense’s performance?
JI: Eh, it was one of out better games. I still think it comes down to not being able to put a complete game together in all facets of the game: from a defense, offense and special teams standpoint. We’ve had games where we played well on one side and not on the other. That was one of the cases today.
LL: Could you talk about what it would’ve meant to this program to make a bowl game; not only in terms of what it would do for their psyche but in terms of the amount of practice time you get and how much it would help them improve?
JI: I think if we had beat Ohio State and then get allotted an opportunity to play in a bowl game, I think the type of bowl we would’ve been able to go to—it would’ve helped us more from the standpoint of bowl practices then the type of bowl we were going to go to.
Now that we don’t get those practices—we have a young team and we need to be able to have extra practices to be able to get better. So, yeah, it’s a big loss. Anytime you’re able to get those extra practices it’s always a good thing.
LL: How much was it a help for your team in terms of, for the next year, getting those bowl practices? How much of a leap can you really make in that time?
JI: I think you can make a tremendous leap but I think the difference is; when I was playing, it was unprecedented for us not to go to a bowl game so it was always a given and just a matter of which bowl game we were going to go to.
So maybe we took it for granted because we knew we would always be in a bowl game. So that’s all we were used to so we always knew we were going to be practicing for a bowl game anyway. Since that hasn’t been the case for a while I just think that if we could’ve gotten any opportunity to be able to get the practice time in and play post the season, it would be great for us.
LL: What would you tell the seniors? Obviously it’s tough to go out with a loss to Ohio State; your last game is in November and the last two years you were 8-16?
JI: You know I would just basically tell them … Obviously you wish that you could go out on a better winning note from a senior class standpoint. But also my advice to them — since I haven’t played in a long time and I’ve been in the work force and have gone on with my life afterwards—Michigan is bigger than just football or an athletic program. The experience at Michigan is more than what you do on the field. So from the academic standpoint, from an alumni standpoint, from just the culture of Michigan, embrace those times. Embrace the fact that you’re at a strong institution that’s a great academic institution; that no matter what, you’re still in the Michigan family.
LL: Could you talk about the career of Brandon Graham? He was obviously everywhere today. He was the heart and soul of the defense and it’s got to be especially tough for him, considering the level he played at.
JI: I think for a guy like Brandon—I know him very well—I think that kid is … he has to hold his head up high. He has a bright future, he’s going to do very, very well post Michigan and he showed it. He played above and beyond, no matter what the record was, no matter where the team was up or down, his motor was the same consistently throughout. You got to respect a player like that. He’s going to do very, very well in the NFL. He’s got nothing to be ashamed of. He played his tail off the whole year.
I remember talking to him after the Notre Dame game and it’s very funny: with him growing up in the Detroit area, he knows Michigan and bleeds blue and has grown up watching Michigan. So when we were talking he knew a lot of the older guys that I played with and new about me and so forth. And he basically told me is that, “We’re trying to turn this thing around for the alumni and the guys that played before us.” So you got to respect a guy like that, that understands the tradition of Michigan and plays … he didn’t just say it, he showed it in his play.
I’m very proud of him. It’s unfortunate that the season didn’t turn out the way he and we all wanted it to. But he has nothing (inaudible) to hold his head up high because he played above and beyond. I can’t imagine someone playing under these circumstances.
LL: As you said I think he’ll be playing football for a long time.
JI: I think he’s going to be OK. (laughs)
LL: Thank you so much for your time, Jarrett. I appreciate it.
JI: Hey, any time. No problem.
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A two-time captain and All-Big Ten pick, Jarrett Irons now works for the Golin Harris PR firm in Chicago.
Got a question or comment? E-mail him here
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