Which of the 10 Famous Celebrities & Actors Actually Root for Michigan Wolverines? Which Celebrities Watch Wolverines Football Every Fall?
Hello Everyone! Welcome to Sports Teller! Today, we will be going over the 10 Celebrities that Root for Michigan Wolverines! In fact, we will be showcasing each famous person’s connection with the school itself. Without further adieu, let’s begin!
10 Celebrities that Root for Michigan Wolverines
Why do Celebrities Support the “Go Blue” Football Team?
The University of Michigan Wolverines are one of the most popular college teams in America. In program history, they have won eleven national championships (with the recent one in 1997). Also, the Wolverines club has won two Big Ten Conference titles outright since the 21st century: 2003 and 2021. Another thing to point out is that Michigan played in the 2021 College Football Playoffs and the team has three Heisman Trophy winners: HB Tom Harmon (1940), WR Desmond Howard (1991), and CB Charles Woodson (1997). Now, many people are wondering: Which celebrities and famous persons are a part of Go Blue Nation? For the List of Celebrities that Root for Michigan Wolverines, please refer to the information below!
Table of Contents
show
Professional Athletes
Barry Larkin (Baseball)
- Profile: Infielder for the Cincinnati Reds (MLB: 1986-2004)
- Connection: The Hall of Fame icon played college baseball for four seasons for the Michigan Wolverines (1982-1985). That’s a stunning fact for Ohio fans since Larkin spent his entire professional career in Cincinnati. Anyway, he led the Wolverines to two College World Series appearances in 1983 and 1984. Also during his tenure, U-M won two Big Ten Conference tournaments in 1983 and 1984. For his MLB career, Larkin guided the Reds to the 1995 National League Championship Series (lost to Atlanta Braves in four games). Interestingly, he is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown (NY) and Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
Mike Matheny (Baseball)
- Profile: Manager for St. Louis Cardinals (2012-2018) and Kansas City Royals (2020-Present)
- Connection: The former Cardinals skipper spent four seasons with the Wolverines baseball program (1989-1992). For his time in Ann Arbor, the catcher was able to lead the Go Blue squad to the trip to the 1989 NCAA Tournament. Matheny was known for guiding the Cardinals to four straight National League Championship Series (NLCS) appearances. In 2013, St. Louis advanced to the World Series (where they lost to the Boston Red Sox in six games).
Rich Hill (Baseball)
- Profile: Starting Pitcher for Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-2019)
- Connection: He played college baseball for the Ann Arbor-based university during the early 2000’s. Unlike Barry Larkin or Mike Matheny, Hill did not have much success with the Wolverines as the program did not play in any NCAA Tournaments. Despite a lack of college postseason history, Hill played in two World Series appearances with the Dodgers in 2017 and 2018 (lost to Houston Astros and Red Sox-respectively).
Clayton Richard (Baseball)
- Profile: Starting Pitcher for San Diego Padres (2009-2013, 2016-2018)
- Connection: The former big leaguer actually split time between baseball and football while he was a student at University of Michigan. In fact, Richard was the backup quarterback behind Chad Henne during the Wolverines’ 2004 football season. Even though he saw limited action on the football field, the pitcher found success on the diamond as he led Michigan to the 2005 NCAA Tournament appearance. Also to keep in mind is that the southpaw guided the Chicago Cubs to the 2015 NLCS (lost to New York Mets in four games).
5 Best Stadium Foods at Michigan Wolverines Games
U-M Wolverines Baseball Players who became MLB Stars
13 Celebrities that Root for Ohio State Buckeyes
Celebrities (Movies, Music, Books, Shows)
James Earl Jones (Actor)
- Profile: Film Actor Best Known for “Star Wars™,” “The Lion King,” and “Field of Dreams.”
- Connection: The legendary performer graduated from the Ann Arbor college during the 1950’s. Since the 2015 season, Jones provided a voice-over for the Wolverines’ hype video that is played during home games at Michigan Stadium. The short video highlights the football program’s history as well as the overall campus life.
Stephanie Izard (TV Chef)
- Profile: Television Chef/Restaurant Entrepreneur Recognized for “Iron Chef America.” and “Top Chef.”
- Connection: She is a University of Michigan graduate with a degree in sociology. According to Food Republic, the Iron Chef admitted that she has attended more Wolverines football home games than at classrooms on campus. Following her tenure at Michigan, Izard went to culinary school to pursue her true passions of cooking.
Russell Crowe (Actor)
- Profile: Screen Actor with Top Movies like “Gladiator,” “Cinderella Man,” and “Les Miserables.”
- Connection: This selection might catch some Wolverine fans off guard given the fact that Crowe is from New Zealand. But believe it or not, the actor is a part of the Go Blue Nation and a close friend of former Head Coach Lloyd Carr. In 2007, with Carr on the hot seat following an 0-2 start, Crowe went to a Wolverines game at Michigan Stadium in the coach’s support. Following Michigan’s blowout victory vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the actor appeared at Carr’s post-game press conference.
Kate Upton (Model)
- Profile: Magazine Model Best Remembered for “Sports Illustrated” Covers
- Connection: The St. Joseph native attended the 2013 National Championship Game (Men’s Basketball) in Atlanta, where the Wolverines lost to the Louisville Cardinals. Even though she never went to the Ann Arbor college, she still bleeds Michigan yellow and blue. In fact, her husband (Justin Verlander) was the starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers from 2005 until 2017.
Dave Coulier (Actor)
- Profile: Television Actor Mainly Known for “Full House,” “Muppet Babies,” and “Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition.”
- Connection: The St. Clair Shores origin went to school at the University of Michigan, but he never finished his degree. In 2017, Coulier took part in Michigan alumni’s hockey game vs. Detroit Red Wings alumni. In fact, the actor wore a Wolverines hockey jersey during an episode of “Full House.” Looks like Dave Coulier is the type of guy who would tell Michigan State and Ohio State fans to “CUT. IT. OUT.”
Darren Criss (Actor)
- Profile: Screen Actor who had Major Appearances in “Glee” and “American Crime Story: Season 2.”
- Connection: The Actor/Singer graduated from the Ann Arbor college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. In 2018, Criss attended a Wolverines home game at Michigan Stadium vs. Wisconsin Badgers. In addition, he occasionally wears Michigan football shirts whenever he performs at shows.
Thanks for reading 10 Celebrities that Root for Michigan Wolverines! We hope this article helped! Please feel free to read our other articles and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more!
