(Eds: With AP Photos.)
By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer
YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) – Mike Hart is Michigan’s all-time leading rusher, as familiar with the turf at the Big House as anyone who’s ever played for the Wolverines.
He’s about to take a very strange walk at Michigan Stadium.
Hart will head down the tunnel Saturday as a visitor for the first time, wearing the green and white of Eastern Michigan. He is part of the Eagles’ coaching staff that will try to engineer an upset of the Wolverines.
“It’ll be weird,” he said. “But I have a job do to. We have a job to do.”
These days, Hart refers to the Wolverines as “they” and the Eagles as “we.”
“I’m committed to this team and I’m glad I’m here,” Hart said. “I’m enjoying it and I’m learning a lot. This is who I am. I am Eastern Michigan. I coach at Eastern Michigan. I want Eastern Michigan to win every game. I don’t cheer for Michigan ever anymore. I watch (their games) as a coach.”
Hart was much more matter of fact than bitter, but he did sour on trying to play professionally.
The Indianapolis Colts rescinded their rights to Hart following the NFL lockout after using their sixth-round pick from 2008 sparingly over three seasons. Hart ran for two touchdowns and 264 yards, 177 of which came in a three-game stretch last season, in a career slowed by ankle, hip and knee injuries.
“I thought I would get picked up before camp got started,” he said. “My agent was like, `Wait around,’ but I was like, `I’m done playing.”’
When Hart didn’t get a quick call from another team, he chose to chase his passion for coaching. Eagles coach Ron English, a former Michigan assistant, gave him a shot.
Hart is an entry-level coach on the staff, helping out the offense and chipping in on defense if needed.
“Former players can say things to a player that’s a little bit different than a coach saying it to a player,” English said. “I think them knowing that Mike’s true talents were not physical, were more mental, emotional and intelligence, I think that helps.”
The 5-foot-9, 206-pound Hart was often overlooked because of his size, but he turned into a star at Onondaga Central High School near Syracuse, N.Y., and in Ann Arbor.
Hart ran for a Michigan-record 5,040 yards – surpassing the likes of Anthony Thomas, Jamie Morris and Tyrone Wheatley along the way – from 2004 through 2007. He is also remembered for referring to Michigan State as Michigan’s “little brother” after the Wolverines’ last win in the series his senior year.
Now, he’s looking Spartan-like in green and white.
“These are my high school colors,” he smiled. “I like these colors. I think I look good in these colors.”
Michigan coach Brady Hoke respects Eastern Michigan in part because they have coaches with maize-and-blue ties in addition to English, who was an assistant under Lloyd Carr.
“Mike Hart, Kurt Anderson, Steve Morrison, who are all products of this program as players, understand about coaching hard,” Hoke said.
Hart said he usually shows up for work at 7:15 a.m. and leaves about 12 hours later to see his wife and their child after doing whatever needs to be done as the team’s offensive quality control coach.
“Obviously, I’m not paying rent from my money, but it’s a paying job,” he said. “I’m not working for free, but I might as well.”
Hart was making more money in the NFL, of course, but it wasn’t all he dreamed it would be.
“Part of it was, I wasn’t playing that much and it wasn’t as fun,” he said. “It was real businesslike. I enjoyed it when I played, but I didn’t enjoy going to work every day and I never wanted to look at football like that. I was to a point where I was like `I don’t even know if I want to coach anymore.’
“That’s when I knew it was time.”
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