U of M Football

There are many different traditions and legends attached to U of M football -- the 11 National Titles, the phenomenal former players and coaches, the chilling and majestic theme song, and so forth. But one that is often overlooked, but is immediately recognizable to even the most casual college football fan, is the winged helmet used by the Wolverines. Did you know that Michigan once used a plain, black helmet? Hard to believe, but true. That all changed, however, when the team hired coach Fritz Crisler from Princeton in 1938. As the legend goes, Michigan had suffered through four straight losing seasons before Crisler's arrival. Team morale was low, and Crisler, a noteworthy motivator, he changed the team's uniforms and helmet right before the 1938 season opener. Crisler has said that the changes were simply aesthetic, but the helmets made it easier for quarterbacks to find their receivers downfield. Perhaps as a result, the team's passing yardage nearly doubled from 1937 to 1938, interceptions were cut in half and the team went 6-1-1 on the season.

U of M Football: Hail To The Victors!

Of course, U of M football wouldn't be U of M football without "The Victors," the team's legendary fight song. The song was written in 1898 by a Michigan student named Louis Elbel. Elbel penned the song after the Wolverines defeated the University of Chicago to win their first ever Big Ten title. The most famous refrain from the memorable tune reads as such: "Hail! to the victors valiant / Hail! to the conqu'ring heroes / Hail! Hail! to Michigan / the leaders and best / Hail! to the victors valiant / Hail! to the conqu'ring heroes / Hail! Hail! to Michigan, / the champions of the West!" It has topped the "best fight songs" list of many a fan and pundit, but the song has received even greater honors than this. Composer John Philip Sousa once called "The Victors" the best college fight song of all-time, and to date it is the only such composition inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.