No matter how much criticism and second-guessing John Navarre has faced during his time at Michigan, his coach is confident the senior quarterback's play will speak for itself when that time is up.
"Well, you know, in seven, eight months, John Navarre is going to be making a hell of a lot more money than all those people who criticized him," U-M coach Lloyd Carr said.
Though Navarre's future as an NFL quarterback remains uncertain, those within the Wolverines' football program don't doubt he is the right man to lead them toward its goal - a Big Ten championship.
"From the outside, in the public eye, he is (under-appreciated)," junior tight end Tim Massaquoi said. "I think the position of quarterback probably gets scrutinized a lot. But only we know how much time and hard work he puts into it. We try to stay right there with him."
These days, Navarre's need for his teammates' encouragement seems to be disintegrating. Despite U-M's two losses, the team enters Saturday's game against MSU with its goal of winning a conference championship still possible. As far as all the attention paid to Navarre and how he plays, it's not an issue to the fifth-year senior.
"I've said this all the time, pay attention to inner forces, things you can control: How you play, what you're being coached and the guys on your team," Navarre said.
During his three seasons as U-M's starting quarterback, Navarre has experienced his share of victories and disappointments on the football field. Oftentimes, he was credited more for the Wolverines' failures than their conquests, especially against rivals.
MSU fans often are reminded that, when it comes to football, U-M's rivals start and end with Ohio State. Last season, the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines 14-9 in Columbus, Ohio and Navarre's play late in the game raised questions about his ability to win big games.
In the fourth quarter of that game, the Buckeyes' defense stripped Navarre of the football, which created a turnover, and intercepted his final pass of the game, sealing the Wolverines' loss.
Nearly seven games into this season, Navarre and the Wolverines were headed toward utter embarrassment. They already had lost two games - road games against Oregon and Iowa - and were trailing Minnesota 28-7 going into the fourth quarter at the Metrodome.
Then Navarre took control of the game, leading U-M to 31 fourth-quarter points and an impressive comeback win over the Golden Gophers. Suddenly, Navarre went from whipping boy to Heisman hopeful.
"He's been through the big wins and he's been through the big losses," said U-M senior right tackle Tony Pape, who lives with Navarre. "I think he's taking the pressure a lot better. He's learning how to handle it and use it and focus it."
Navarre's passing statistics this season reflect a focused quarterback. Through nine games, he has completed 57.9 percent of his passes for 2,271 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Although he's had success throwing the ball, Navarre's footspeed remains a concern. He will have to find a way to avoid the pass rush of MSU's much-improved defensive line.
One of the defensive line's best pass rushers, senior rush end Greg Taplin, missed MSU's last game against Minnesota but is expected to be back against U-M.
"I'm ready. I'm gonna drill Navarre. I'm ready," he said. "It took a lot out of me last week and the week before when I was on the sidelines. It sucked."
Regardless of the pressure the Spartans' defense puts on Navarre, his teammates know he'll be able to handle whatever pressure comes after the game.
"It takes a really strong person to be a Michigan quarterback," sophomore wide receiver Jason Avant said. "And that's one of the reasons I respect John and that I look up to John, because he can take all this attention."
Jon Styf contributed to this report.
