Leave it to Jim Harbaugh to bring together Tom Brady and The Nature Boy.
The New England Patriots quarterback and retired wrestling legend Ric Flair were just two of the celebrities that gathered in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Wednesday to take part in the football program's innovative celebration of the Wolverines' 2016 signing class.
And it certainly appears the two became fast friends:
The celebration was held in Michigan's Hill Auditorium, where Harbaugh gathered both celebrities and former coaches like Lou Holtz and Mike Shanahan to break down highlights of each of UM's signees. The event was livestreamed by The Players' Tribune, and Tribune founder Derek Jeter was on hand as well, along with Jim's brother, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, and the likes of former MLB manager Jim Leyland, Michigan's last Heisman Trophy winner (Desmond Howard) and others. There was a lot of dabbing going on throughout the proceedings:
Flair closed his remarks in trademark style:
"Officially today, the Nature Boy is a limousine-ridin', jet-flyin', kiss-stealin', lovin'-old-blue and Michigan son of a gun! Wooo!"
Some Michigan signees who graduated from high school in December and enrolled at UM in January were introduced in person, while others were included through a live video feed. Comparisons of former Michigan greats to the newcomers were flowing freely -- Shanahan called running back Kingston Davis "a young Tyrone Wheatley" -- so Harbaugh's not exactly tamping down expectations.
To top it all off, the nation's No. 1 recruit, defensive tackle Rashan Gary, announced Michigan as his choice on ESPN2 while the UM event was going on.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
