Michigan

Michigan football players in NFL playoffs: Detroit Lions tied for most former Wolverines

Published

2 years ago

January 13, 2024

Michigan football players in NFL playoffs: Detroit Lions tied for most former Wolverines

The NFL playoffs are here, which means several former Wolverines are hoping to become Super Bowl champions in the same year Michigan football won its first College Football Playoff national championship.

Perhaps the most well-known Wolverine participating in the NFL playoffs is Detroit defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the former No. 2 overall pick who has 11.5 sacks for his hometown team this season. There’s also receiver Nico Collins, who leads Houston with 1,297 receiving yards this season, and Green Bay edge rusher Rashan Gary, who has 44 total tackles and nine sacks in 2023-24.

The Lions (12-5) earned the No. 3 seed in the NFC, and they’ll start their trek toward a hopeful championship when they host Los Angeles (10-7) on Sunday. Detroit winning a Super Bowl would cap off quite a few months for some Michiganders.

REQUIRED READING: Michigan football’s national title proves players can come from anywhere and any ranking

Here’s a guide to where each former Wolverine is playing for the NFL playoffs:

How many Michigan football players are in the NFL playoffs?

In all, 11 of 14 NFL playoff teams have some form of Michigan football representation. Twenty-three Wolverines players are in the playoffs, including 15 active players.

Michigan players by NFL team

Detroit Lions

Three former Michigan players are active for Detroit heading into the playoffs — Aidan Hutchinson, offensive guard Graham Glasgow and backup receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Hutchinson, a second-year pro, has emerged as one of the Lions’ leaders and one of the best young pass-rushers in the NFL, whereas Glasgow is a solid multi-year starter for Detroit.

DE Aidan Hutchinson
OG Graham Glasgow
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

More: Celebrate Michigan’s national championship with Detroit Free Press books and front pages!

Houston Texans

There’s only one Wolverine on the Texans roster, but it’s a good one. Collins, a Pro Bowl alternate this season, finished this season with 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. He also set new career-highs in every stat in his third season while catching passes from a college rival in former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

San Francisco 49ers

Cornerback Ambry Thomas, a key contributor in San Francisco’s defense, missed the 49ers’ season finale after undergoing hand surgery, although he’ll reportedly be back for their playoff game against the winner of Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.

Thomas finished the regular season with 43 total tackles and an interception while appearing in 15 games. Former Michigan kicker Jake Moody is also on the roster and has made 21 of 25 field-goal attempts this season.

Here’s the full list of Michigan players for the 49ers:

CB Ambry Thomas
K Jake Moody
WR Ronnie Bell

More: Mitch Albom: Detroit Lions enter playoffs, battle scars and all, vs. familiar friend

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys receive plenty of contribution from former Michigan players, led by defensive back Jourdan Lewis.

Lewis has had one of his best pro seasons in 2023-24, finishing with 52 total tackles and three forced fumbles along with an interception after being selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Dallas also has a pair of rookies in defensive tackle Mazi Smith and tight end Luke Schoonmaker, who contribute in backups roles.

Here’s the full list of Michigan players for the Cowboys:

DB Jourdan Lewis
TE Luke Schoonmaker
DT Mazi Smith

Green Bay Packers

The Packers boast a pair of former Wolverines as starters, in edge rusher Rashan Gary and offensive guard Jon Runyan.

Gary, who signed a four-year extension worth $107.5 million earlier this season, finished the year with nine sacks before the playoffs. Runyan, a three-year starter, has started all 17 games for Green Bay this season.

Here’s the full list of Michigan players for the Packers:

EDGE Rashan Gary
OG Jon Runyan

Philadelphia Eagles

The longest-tenured member of the Eagles is defensive lineman Brandon Graham, a former Michigan first-round pick from 2010.

Graham, 35, is still a key contributor with 16 total tackles and three sacks this season. For his career, he has 73 sacks, 22 forced fumbles and 465 total tackles. He was also a second-team All-Pro selection in 2016.

Here’s the full list of former Michigan players for the Eagles:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Just like the Eagles, the Steelers also have just one former Michigan player on the roster in starting center Mason Cole. He joined Pittsburgh in 2022 and has made 34 starts in two seasons.

Kansas City Chiefs

Rounding out the list of Wolverines in the NFL playoffs is Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna, who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and has had his most productive season as a pro in 2023-24. The fourth-year pro has 6.5 sacks this season, which ranks four on Kansas City.

Source link

Click to comment

Michigan

Michigan’s deadliest tornado killed 116 in Flint 73 years ago today

Published

10 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Press Room

Michigan’s deadliest tornado killed 116 in Flint 73 years ago today

FLINT, Mich. – On June 8, 1953, disaster struck the north side of Flint and the northern suburb of Beecher when the Flint-Beecher tornado, Michigan’s worst natural disaster in terms of deaths and injuries, tore through the area.

The Flint-Beecher tornado remains the only tornado to strike Southeast Lower Michigan rated F5 on the Fujita scale.

According to the National Weather Service, an F5 tornado produces “incredible damage,” with winds estimated between 261 and 318 mph — powerful enough to level strong frame houses, hurl automobile-sized debris more than 100 meters and debark trees.

The scale of the storm was staggering. At 800 yards wide, the tornado didn’t just destroy homes — it erased entire blocks, entire neighborhoods, entire chapters of people’s lives in the span of minutes. Winds are believed to have exceeded 200 mph.

The tornado traveled 27 miles at approximately 35 mph, killing 116 people and injuring 844 others in its path.

For those in its way, there was little warning and almost nowhere to go.

It stands as the deadliest natural disaster in Michigan history and the 10th deadliest in United States history.

Path of Flint-Beecher tornado (National Weather Service)

The aftermath

So many people were killed that the National Guard Armory and other buildings were temporarily converted into morgues. More than 100 people — families and friends of victims — waited outside in the rain for hours before they could enter to identify the bodies.

State Police Captain James Berardo warned the people outside that the tornado had horribly battered some victims and that the scene inside would be gruesome.

The Flint-Beecher tornado claimed lives ranging from as young as 5 months to as old as 80.

Of the 116 killed, 55 were under 20 years old — and five of those were less than a year old. Of the 844 injured, the last two survivors to be hospitalized were not discharged until five months after the tornado.

At least 20 families reported losing more than one member. The Gensel and Gatica families each lost five people.

Community response

In the wake of the disaster, state troopers, the National Guard and the Red Cross quickly mobilized to assist. Within 12 hours of the tornado, they provided first aid, food and clothing to survivors.

The National Weather Service noted in their Beecher 50th Anniversary Commemoration that the Flint-Beecher Tornado was one of eight tornadoes that occurred that evening across the eastern portion of the Lower Peninsula, resulting in an additional nine deaths and 52 injuries.

Flint-Beecher aerial (National Weather Service)

The tornado destroyed nearly 340 homes, with 107 sustaining major damage and 153 experiencing minor damage. An additional 50 businesses and other buildings were damaged, totaling an estimated $19 million — nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in today’s money.

Rebuilding the community

Beecher was able to rebuild thanks to the broader Flint community, which rallied around a “Red Feather” campaign to gather relief and rebuilding funds. Combined with Red Cross support, the effort helped the community get back on its feet.

In the late summer of 1953, a community-supported “Builder Bees” project brought volunteers together to help rebuild homes lost in the tornado.

Source link

Michigan

Can Michigan tenants withhold rent if a landlord won’t make repairs?

Published

20 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Press Room

Can Michigan tenants withhold rent if a landlord won’t make repairs?

If a landlord isn’t making repairs in a rental home, can a tenant withhold their rent?

In short, yes, but it’s complicated.

A lease is essentially a contract between the landlord and tenant, saying the former will keep the property in good repair while the latter will pay rent, said Donovan McCarty, director of Michigan State University College of Law’s Housing Justice Clinic.

“If there are repairs, that means that the landlord has breached that contract, so the tenant then will often withhold rent,” McCarty said. But that is typically treated as a defense, meaning that once a landlord takes a tenant to court for nonpayment, the tenant can raise the issue of repairs and tell the judge that is why they were withholding payments. The money must be set aside in a separate escrow account.

Here’s what else to know:

What Michigan law says about withholding rent

Both tenants and landlords are responsible for maintaining a property, according to a guide for tenants and landlords by the state of Michigan’s Legislative Service Bureau. Michigan law requires landlords to keep properties in “reasonable repair” during the lease term and ensure the premises and common areas are fit for the intended use. These are referred to as “covenants of habitability and fitness,” or promises, from the landlord.

The law does not define “reasonable repair,” however. That means it is up to the discretion of a judge or jury if it’s brought before a court, the Legislative Service Bureau guide notes.

Michigan’s housing law is a floor, McCarty said, and municipalities can protect their residents beyond state law as needed. Detroit has its own rental ordinance. Ann Arbor has a housing code that outlines rules for rentals.

What can a tenant do if their landlord isn’t making repairs?

If a tenant needs repairs, they should let their landlord know as soon as possible and put it in writing, according to the Michigan Legal Help website, which is funded, in part, by the Michigan Supreme Court. If the landlord doesn’t respond, renters may withhold their rent by putting it into an escrow account or pay for the repairs themselves and deduct it from their rent.

The escrow account should be separate and hold only the rent money, the Michigan Legal Help website notes. The tenant should let their landlord know in writing that they’ve put the money into escrow. If a tenant decides to pay for the repairs, they should keep the receipts.

“Either should be done carefully and deliberately, ideally with advance notice (and an opportunity to cure the repair problems) to the landlord,” Jim Schaafsma, a housing attorney with the Michigan Poverty Law Program, said in an email. A renter can also make a complaint to their local building, housing or code enforcement agency.

How long should a tenant wait before putting their rent in escrow? How much rent can a tenant withhold pending repairs?

There’s no clear answer to either question, MSU’s McCarty said. There are, however, a couple of questions renters should consider: How would a judge — someone who is a neutral arbiter of the facts — view the action? In this case, is the act of withholding rent reasonable?

The city of Detroit is reworking its escrow program following a change in the rental ordinance, which meant administration of the program moved from the Buildings, Safety, Engineering, and Environmental Department to the Housing and Revitalization Department, and now the new Department of Human, Homeless and Family Services. The new program is expected to roll out by summer. The city is working with partners on the administration, rules and technology of the program, according to the city of Detroit’s Chelsea Neblett. The 36th District Court in Detroit has a process for accepting escrow payments but only if there is a pending case and order for escrow. Renters can also set up their own account.

For more information, go to Michigan Legal Help michiganlegalhelp.org/resources/housing/tenant-rights-and-responsibilities or refer to the Legislative Service Bureau’s Practical Guide for Tenants and Landlords at www.legislature.mi.gov/Publications/tenantlandlord.pdf.

Reach reporter Nushrat Rahman at nrahman@freepress.com.

Is it legal?

“Is it Legal?” is a recurring feature on freep.com that aims to help readers understand laws in Michigan and in their communities.

Do you have a question about what’s legal and what isn’t in Michigan? Email isitlegal@freepress.com and we’ll look into it for you.

Source link

Michigan

Heat, humidity and storm chances in store for Southeast Michigan

Published

1 day ago

June 7, 2026

Press Room

Heat, humidity and storm chances in store for Southeast Michigan

June 7, 2026 / 7:58 PM EDT
/ CBS Detroit

The NEXT Weather Team is tracking Florida-like humidity and some storm chances for Southeast Michigan this week.

Monday will be the most comfortable day of the week, with dew points in the mid-50s to low 60s and high temperatures in the low to mid-80s under partly cloudy skies. Expect dry conditions and light winds as high pressure holds over the region.

A low pressure system from the High Plains will start moving in late Monday, bringing lots of moisture. Dew points are projected to rise sharply into the mid-60s to low 70s by Tuesday evening.

June 8, 2026, futurecast for the Lower Peninsula Michigan.

CBS News Detroit

Showers and storms may start moving into Southeast Michigan overnight Monday and most of the Lower Peninsula is at moderate risk for excessive rainfall on Tuesday.

June 9, 2026, futurecast for the Lower Peninsula Michigan.

CBS News Detroit

An extended stretch of heat and humidity is expected Wednesday through Friday with high temperatures between the upper 80s and low 90s and peak heat index values solidly in the upper 90s, with a chance of those values reaching 100.

Heat risk for June 10, 2026.

CBS News Detroit
Advertisement

Thursday is a NEXT Weather Alert Day as there could be either the highest and most dangerous heat index numbers or strong to severe storms. If storm chances increase, widespread heat impacts would be lessened. However, moderate to major heat impacts are possible, so be prepared by having a location for adequate cooling, limiting time outdoors and staying hydrated.