President Obama has advice for coach Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
President Barack Obama wants Michigan football players to “keep their chin up.”
That was the message the commander-in-chief relayed to coach Jim Harbaugh on Monday as Harbaugh and his wife Sarah were at the White House as guests of First Lady Michelle Obama.
The Obamas were watching the Michigan-Michigan State game Saturday when Michigan punter Blake O'Neill fumbled a punt with 10 seconds remaining into the waiting arms of Michigan State’s Jalen Watts-Jackson, who ran 38 yards for a winning touchdown.
"[President Obama] was great. We talked about some mutual friends that we both know, and he said the same thing you just said: 'Tough way to lose a football game,'" Harbaugh said via the Detroit Free Press. "(He) told the fellas to keep their chin up. ... (He) likes the way our team plays and he told the guys to keep it going."
Harbagh was in Washington D.C. to help promote the Better Make Room initiative, a public-awareness campaign linked to Michelle Obama's Reach Higher Initiative. The Reach Higher Initiative is aimed at helping students ages 14 to 19 to develop the resources they need to extend their educations and gain career opportunities.
Harbaugh and Michelle Obama met during an education event on May 1 at Wayne State University, which prompted Monday’s invite.
Harbaugh, like President Obama, tried to turn a dismal situation into a positive going forward.
"Yeah, it was a brutal way to lose a football game," Harbaugh said, "because the adversity you expect in a game, whatever team adjusts and handles it better is going to win the football game. That particular adversity came when there was nothing left to do; the game was over.
"We won’t let the sadness get in the way of the way we’re improving as an improving football team. (We will) look at the things we’re doing that are putting us in a position to be successful and win a football game like that and also look at the things that put us in a position to not win the game. And it’s never one play, it’s never one play in a football game."
For more Michigan news, visit TheWolverine.com.
- - - - - - -
Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook
