Hearing senior fullback Max Bredeson’s name in the start of a question at Big Ten Media Day in July, Michigan coach Sherrone Moore couldn’t help but interject.
“Gosh, isn’t he awesome? He’s the best.”
Even though not every football system uses a fullback, Moore is sticking with the position. Perhaps believing he has one of the best fullbacks in the country in Bredeson has something to do with it. Considering how Bredeson’s teammates and coaches speak about him, it’s no wonder he was selected to be a captain for the Michigan football team this season.
“In his role, Max is a glue player, not just from mentality, the way he plays, but how he is around the players,” offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell said July 30. “He’s got a good way about him. He’s smart, intelligent, great energy, great player.”
Bredeson’s road to captaincy didn’t have the most traditional beginning. He wasn’t a star out of high school — rather, he was an undersized quarterback who only played six games. In 2021 he was a walk-on with the Wolverines, who immediately asked him to change positions. He initially joined the tight end room before carving out his niche at the fullback position.
Showcasing his power and toughness, Bredeson has embraced his fullback role. His achievements don’t often show up in the form of yards or touchdowns to his name, but every snap he plays, he’s right there in the thick of things, creating chances for others to move the ball.
“We go as he goes,” senior running back Donovan Edwards said Thursday. “He’s basically the heart and soul of our offense.”
Now the “heart and soul of the offense” holds the new official title of captain. In an all-player vote, Bredeson’s peers recognized his leadership and impact on the team. He called the announcement “a special moment,” vowing to give everything he has to his teammates now that they have placed their trust in him.
“It’s an incredible honor, especially with how much it means here at Michigan,” Bredeson said Thursday. “I take a lot of pride in it and being able to be a guy this team counts on to lead them. And especially with my brother being captain too, it means a lot.”
Bredeson’s older brother is a former offensive lineman and two-year captain for the Wolverines. His other brother was a pitcher on the Michigan baseball team. Michigan athletics clearly runs in Bredeson’s blood, and his brothers played a key role in getting him to where he is today — both by encouraging him to come to Michigan in the first place and by helping him navigate everything once he arrived.
“I’m grateful to have two great brothers who both went here and have both been in leadership positions in both their sports,” Bredeson said. “I really wouldn’t be standing right here with the title without both of them. They’ve really been the ones that have really directed me on how to go about this Michigan route.”
Bredeson chose to come join the Wolverines in large part because of his brothers, and now he’s following in their footsteps by leading his team. His journey wasn’t traditional, but it culminated in him establishing himself as a leader. He walked onto the Michigan football team in 2021, and in 2024 he’ll walk onto the field as a captain.
The post ‘The heart and soul of our offense’: Max Bredeson’s journey from walk-on to Michigan captaincy appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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