ESPN broke a story on Friday afternoon that Michigan’s Ondre Pipkins was forced by Jim Harbaugh to retire from the team. Pipkins stated that, although Harbaugh wanted the senior DT to graduate from Michigan, the UM coach wanted to free up his scholarship even though he was healthy. Below are the main quotes from Pipkins in the ESPN piece:
“I feel I’m healthy and ready to play,” said Pipkins, who played last season after he was cleared to return from a torn knee ligament. “I don’t want to sign the form. I wanted to play for my seniors and for the team. Coach Harbaugh said, ‘I recommend you take the medical.'”
Pipkins said he felt constant pressure to retire. …
Harbaugh told him that he wanted “to make sure you graduate from Michigan” and that the coach did not plan to invite him to fall camp due in part to medical concerns. The lineman added that Harbaugh told him that he did not believe he would be drafted into the NFL for medical reasons.
“I feel bad I wasn’t able to complete this journey with my classmates,” Pipkins told ESPN. “I feel I am healthy and without pain. I believe Michigan wanted to free up the scholarship. I felt I was practicing well and could compete at a high level at the nose tackle and tackle positions.”
Well on Saturday morning, Desmond Morgan, a likely starting linebacker for Michigan, seemed to be calling out Pipkins on Twitter:
Interestingly enough, Chris Partridge, Michigan’s recruiting coordinator, retweeted Morgan’s message.
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