Michigan linebacker discusses former coach George Helow joining Alabama staff: ‘Just different’
Helow was not on Michigan’s staff this year but was hired by the Crimson Tide less than two weeks after Alabama was selected to face the Wolverines in the College Football Playoff.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. Though the Michigan football team’s upcoming Rose Bowl matchup against Alabama didn’t need any more juice, some was added last week, when the Crimson Tide hired George Helow to an unspecified role in its staff ahead of the game. Though Helow worked as a defensive intern at Alabama in 2012, and has held roles at Georgia, Colorado State and Maryland, he is best known for being Michigan’s linebackers coach in 2021 and 2022.
He was not on a staff this year, but was hired by the Crimson Tide less than two weeks after Alabama was selected to face the Wolverines in the College Football Playoff. Naturally, the move was widely seen as gamesmanship to give the Crimson Tide a more intimate knowledge of Michigan’s No. 2 ranked defense.
And on Monday, one of Helow’s former players weighed in on the decision.
“Mike (Barrett) sent it to me, then Ernest (Hausmann). But just different. Just different,” junior linebacker Junior Colson said with a grin. “It’s like, they might be a little scared, you never know. But he’s got a job, I’m happy for him. So, I’m excited for him. I’m happy — I’ll probably say what’s up to him after the game. So you just gotta go out there and play ball.”
While it’s likely Michigan has changed its play-calling signs and communication lingo since Helow was on staff last fall, he certainly is going to know Michigan’s defense better than just about anyone not currently on the Wolverines’ staff or team. He helped Colson earn freshman All-American honors in 2021 and post a 100-tackle season last fall, and helped Barrett transition from a viper to a productive inside linebacker. He remains familiar with the concepts and structures of Michigan’s defense, which ranks first nationally in scoring defense, second in yards per game allowed and fourth in yards per play allowed.
As far as the benefit of that intelligence, Colson was unconvinced of its impact.
“You can’t really have an advantage in football,” Colson said. “It doesn’t matter if you know somebody’s whole playbook; you’ve still got to stop it. So you can’t really have an advantage in football. You’ve got to go out there, play ball, and let the dice roll how they roll.”
In addition to Helow, Colson also discussed former Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge, who was dismissed earlier this season for allegedly violating the University of Michigan’s policy on discussing the NCAA’s investigation into Michigan’s advanced scouting with others. Partridge took over the role this past winter and had previously spent four seasons as a defensive coach for the Wolverines from 2016–19.
Though it didn’t show up in the win-loss column, it was a setback Michigan’s players had to overcome. Helping that challenge was that Partridge was replaced by Rick Minter, a longtime college head coach and coordinator, and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s father.
“It was difficult,” Colson said of losing Partridge. “It was difficult. I built such a bond with him, you know, so losing him halfway through the season was hard. But I know what he would want me to do, which is just keep playing ball, so that’s what I’ve been doing. And coach Minter, he’s coached for so long. He knows so much about football. You know, he’s a great guy to have in here, a great guy to learn from, so just always learning and always growing.”
