Despite being caught in more NCAA rules violations, a pair of NFL legends and Michigan football alums showed Jim Harbaugh and the program support before and after their big win over Penn State this weekend.
The Michigan football program is having a fantastic season thus far in 2023. They are one of the few teams left in the country that remain undefeated and they have smashed every one of their opponents as they entered a titanic Week 11 clash with Penn State.
Related: Big Ten bans Jim Harbaugh from Michigan sidelines for regular season
However, while the program’s 9-0 start has been a major storyline, it has been overshadowed by a pair of rules violation scandals this year. Head coach Jim Harbaugh missed the team’s first four games after he broke guidelines for recruiting in the offseason. However, the 59-year-old is set to miss the Michigan Wolverines final three games after it was discovered that a member of his staff was blatantly breaking NCAA rules on advance scouting.
The Michigan football sign-stealing scandal has gotten a great deal of attention throughout the sports world in recent weeks, and the Big 10 deciding to ban him from the sidelines for his team’s final regular season games was celebrated by some in and outside college football.
However, there are some NFL greats who decided to instead show support for the coach and program after his latest punishment was revealed.
Charles Woodson boldy shows support for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football after win over Penn State
Before Michigan’s game against Penn State on Saturday, star quarterback JJ McCarthy took to his X account to publicly take on the challenge of being without Harbaugh by simply writing, “Bet.” The terminology is often used as slang to mean okay or challenge accepted.
Following the post, Michigan football and New England Patriots great Tom Brady reposted the message with a “Bet” of his own on Friday night, showing his support for the program before their game against Penn State. However, he was not the only NFL and program great to do so this weekend.
After Michigan defeated Penn State on Saturday by a score of 24-15, Wolverines legend Charles Woodson returned to FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff postgame show to loudly celebrate the team’s victory as he sported a “Michigan Vs. Everybody” shirt.
Related: Michigan fotball’s Jim Harbaugh: I work so hard to do everything right
Alum showing support for the school is nothing unexpected, but doing so after clearly breaking long-standing NCAA rules and a second major punishment for Jim Harbaugh is certainly unorthodox compared to many opinions around the industry about the situation.
The head coach’s latest punishment stems from confirmed reports that staffer Connor Stallions was recording sideline signals for upcoming Michigan opponents in recent years.