Michigan Football is Back! Fish talks to Bruce Madej and Rick Leach
Few Flint athletes can lay claim to the title of “All Time Greatest”. Rick Leach is one that can. A three sport high school All American in football, baseball, and basketball, he led the Flint Southwestern Colts to city dominance in football. Rick was an incredible inspiration and hero to a lot of Flint kids, myself included.
He went on to a truly legendary career playing football and baseball for the University of Michigan where iconic football announcer, Bob Ufer, proclaimed him the “Guts and Glue of the Maize And Blue”. Leach was the first quarterback in Michigan history to start as a Freshman from "Day One", and he stayed there for four years.
Along the way he compiled a sterling 38-8-2 record. He was simultaneously one of the best college baseball players in America. He finished third in the 1978 Heisman Trophy voting, and went to a long career in Major League Baseball, including time with the Detroit Tigers.
Joining our conversation is one of my absolute favorite people, Bruce Madej the 40-year veteran Michigan sports information, media/PR/and Communications super guru. Bruce knows all, has seen all, and tells the best stories!
We cover a lot of ground in this one including: Bo Schembechler, Woody Hayes, Jerry Hanlon, Flint sports and the it’s greatest athletes, Joe Montana and Notre Dame, Glen Rice and the ‘89 National Championship, Jimmy Abbott & Angelo’s Coney Island, Rob Lytle, coaches Fred Jackson, Dar Christensen, whipping the Buckeyes, and more!
It’s a genuine slice of Flint and Michigan sports history and it’s all right here on “Fish and The Flint Chronicles”!