Houston — This was the biggest game he has played in his career. Because it was a top-five clash, there was little room for error and enormous stakes. Jake Thaw, a senior wide receiver, advanced beneath a high-arching punt and motioned for a fair catch. Thaw planted his feet and leaned in to make the catch as a flurry of red and white jerseys surrounded him.
Then something went wrong.
Zeke Berry, a sophomore defensive back, was mixed up in a blocking assignment and collided with Thaw just as the ball was starting to touch his hands, sending the return man sprawling to the ground. The Ohio State gunners frantically anticipated a loose ball.
A loose ball that was never found. Thaw was unmoved as Buckeyes players looked for an opportunity to capitalize on the Wolverines’ possible bad luck. Even after a hard hit with Berry, the ball remained secure in his grasp. It was a heart-stopping scene that had the potential to be extremely painful, but more than anything, it was the kind of play that fosters trust.
Among many other plays, it was the one that gave Thaw permission to return a punt in a tie game against the esteemed Alabama dynasty at the Rose Bowl with 54 seconds remaining.
Thaw stated to The Michigan Daily on Saturday, “It means everything.” “You’re not back there because you’re faster than DJ Turner,” said Ben Herbert, the strength and conditioning coach, to me early in the year. I’m well aware that you won’t be running a 4.2 at the combine like DJ Turner. “You returned there because they have faith in you.”
It’s difficult to find trust in any situation, be it on the baseball field or in a boardroom. It was perhaps no coincidence that Jim Harbaugh and Michigan went to Thaw at a time of dire need, having gone almost the entire Rose Bowl game without fielding a punt.
With a throw of the dice, nevertheless, the Wolverines did not turn to Thaw. He didn’t feel embraced by the situation. Instead, Thaw entered it with his own two feet. Whether it was a hard-fought fair catch versus Ohio State, one of thousands of practice punt returns, or fighting through the animosity that only Happy Valley can offer, it made no difference.
Every step of the way, Thaw gained his trust.
Jake Thaw’s father, Mitch Thaw, stated, “It’s about preparation.” You don’t need to worry if you’re ready. You may feel anxious because it’s a significant event, or for other reasons, but if you’re ready, you won’t need to worry at all. Because you are aware that you have made every effort to achieve before on the field.
Long before this Monday in Houston, that preparation had started. It actually arrived prior to Jake ever setting foot in Ann Arbor. Perhaps it began when Jake batted for the ball for the first time in T-ball, but that could be pushing it. Perhaps it began the year he caught his first varsity touchdown in his high school sophomore year.
Whatever the exact moment Jake began his preparations, one thing is certain: they never ended.
Jake flourished at Westport, Connecticut’s Staples High School, rising to prominence both on and off the field. For Jake, being ready doesn’t stop in the editing room. It was more than just a matter of interpretation. Hard effort and preparation came naturally to Jake, whether it was completing homework during two-and-a-half-hour car drives to meet his receiver coach in New Jersey or making all-state football and basketball teams.
Jake declared, “I want to challenge myself all the time.” “I enjoy setting myself up for failure. I enjoy a challenge, whether it is in football, academics, or anything else. My goal was to position myself to perform at the best level possible.
It’s the same mindset that brought him to Ann Arbor and helps establish dependability.
And then, all of a sudden, after deciding on Michigan, the planning process had to start over. The setting might have changed, but Jake stayed the same—always striving to earn the respect of teammates and coaches. Jake says he was “doing something a little extra every day,” but his effort that had brought him to the Wolverines left more than just a mark.
So much so that by his junior season, Thaw had not only wowed but also earned playing time despite injuring his ACL in his second year. Nor was it merely in any special role. In 2022, Jake gained the ultimate token of confidence when he fielded a punt during his home debut versus Hawaii.
Michigan special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh stated on September 27 that “you really can’t play him as a punt returner if you have a guy that you don’t trust.” “ … The player’s judgment and crisp ball-fielding skills are by far the most crucial factors.
Jake’s distinct combination of analytical thinking, effort, and talents gained him not just playing time but also trust. He was named an academic all-Big Ten recipient three times and twice won special teams player of the week in 2023.
It was therefore no coincidence that Jake was present as the time ran out on a Monday night in Pasadena as he prepared to field an Alabama punt with 54 seconds remaining in a tie game. It was the result of years of planning, arduous labor, and a trust-based reward.
Jake gestured for a fair catch while he was beneath a high-arching punt. Unfortunate things transpired after that.
But Jake’s answer was far from that.
Dave Goldshore, the head coach of the men’s basketball team at Staples High School, stated, “He just fixed the mistake.” As coaches, we frequently discuss how, more often than not, it’s the second error that does harm to an individual. The initial error will inevitably occur; what truly defines you as a person is how you handle the error.
And while Michigan faithful’s hearts could have sprung into their mouths. Jake has not moved. Indeed, it was precisely that same heart that enabled him to pull off a game-saving move.
After collecting the muffed ball, Jake was hit hard again, but this time it was from a wave of Crimson Tide players rather than from his own player. Jake avoided getting into his own end zone and preserved Michigan’s season by leaning into the shot and moving ahead.
“One of the first people that approached me was Coach Herbert, and it gives me something worthwhile to consider,” remarked Jake. “Yet, it’s true that you were only a few inches away from one of the most notorious and catastrophic plays in Michigan football history, but it didn’t happen,” he remarked.
However, there is a reason why that did not occur. Neither Jake’s ability to recover the ball nor his ability to behave coolly under pressure were the result of pure luck. Even though it was a bad moment for Jake, he saw more than just the bright side of things after years of planning and hard work.
He created them.
And that was the deciding factor. Though they did have faith in Jake’s ability to field the ball cleanly, the Wolverines weren’t just in the game because of that belief. They chose to send him back deep for those precise times, even though nothing went as planned. Even so, Michigan recognized why it picked Jake when things went wrong. An if had turned into a when.
From then on, his recuperation, composure, and judgment made sure it was, in the end, the right decision.
Junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy stated on January 3 that “yeah, I just kind of feel like those pressure situations are what make teams great.” “I think we made a mistake there, but we managed to get it back.” He obviously went down at the one-yard line, giving us an opportunity to continue playing. Just allow us to align once more. He got us back by doing his job.
The Wolverines were able to thank Jake Thaw for his composure under duress as they triumphed over Alabama 27–20 at the Rose Bowl, demonstrating the value of the trust he earned. Poise, who assisted Michigan in earning a last-round matchup with No. 2 Washington.
Jake will now have another chance. One thing is clear, though: the trust will always exist, regardless of how the returner may be featured in the game script.
Considering that Jake has earned it at every turn.
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