Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson sought the approval of a program legend before choosing to wear jersey No. 2.
Patterson wore jersey No. 20 at Ole Miss but decided to change to No. 2 with the Wolverines. That is the same number Charles Woodson wore when he won the Heisman Trophy for the Wolverines.
Patterson told The Michigan Insider that when he reached out to Woodson, the legend at first joked that Patterson couldn’t wear it before approving it.
“He said if you’re going to wear it just know what you’re wearing it for,” Patterson said, via The Michigan Insider. “You’ve got to be a leader and show the guys how hard you work. Wear it with pride.”
Patterson was announced this week as Michigan’s starting quarterback. He completed 63.8 percent of his passes as a sophomore last season, throwing for 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in seven games for the Rebels. He shined against lesser teams, against whom he racked up most of his stats. He struggled against strong opponents like LSU and Alabama, against whom he threw for no touchdowns and five interceptions.
Michigan will be in good shape if Jim Harbaugh is able to help Patterson take a step forward in his game.
