Michigan QB Jack Tuttle not shy about ultimate goal
Michigan Wolverines football brought in graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle, an Indiana transfer, this offseason. The Maize and Blue have a solidified starter in junior J.J. McCarthy but needed depth, and the program fit the bill for what Tuttle was looking for, a win-win situation.
Tuttle and new Michigan tight end AJ Barner both had a rapport with U-M running backs coach and run game coordinator Mike Hart while he was at Indiana, which helped make the choice an easy one for all parties.
“For me, I knew [Michigan head] Coach [Jim] Harbaugh and Coach Hart before, and that’s what really sparked me coming here,” Tuttle explained.
RELATED
• INSIDE THE FORT, Part II: Michigan spring football, hoops movers, more
• Meet A.J. Barner, Michigan football’s newest ‘enforcer’
Tuttle, who earned both an undergrad degree and MBA at Indiana, could’ve moved on from college football after his fifth season but chose to use his final season of eligibility in Ann Arbor, where, in all likelihood (barring injury), he won’t start a game this fall. Learning from Harbaugh, quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell and the rest of the staff — regardless of whether or not he plays a big role — with the chance to win a national championship appeals to him.
“It’s not over ’til it’s over,” the 6-4, 210-pounder said of his career. “That’s kind of something I live by, and my dad and I’ve always talked about …
“‘Why Michigan?’ and ‘Why come here? What’s your goal here?’ I have a couple of goals. But the main goal right now and what I’m focused on is doing everything I can to help this team win a national championship and achieve all of its goals. That’s where my work is going to right now. That’s what I’m striving for, and I’m going to help and do whatever I can to make sure we achieve that goal.”
That goal is one Michigan used in its recruiting pitch, too, though Tuttle, who appeared in 15 games with five starts for the Hoosiers, noted the decision to come to U-M was more about relationships than anything.
“The first goal I talked about, national championship … [they asked] ‘Do you want to help us win a national championship?’ ‘Absolutely. I want to do that.’ And there are other things and other goals in that sales pitch, but right now that’s the main thing I’m focused on.
“When I think about a year from now, who knows what could happen? Who knows if I’m playing? Who knows if I’m coaching? Who knows if I’m in a suit and tie, at the next level? I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. But right now, all I can do is focus and keep playing our game, keep getting better and help this team achieve its goal.”
A mature voice who’s gone through plenty of experiences as a college football player, Tuttle brings leadership to the Michigan quarterback room, something it had a year ago in the form of Alan Bowman — who transferred to Oklahoma State in hopes of earning more playing time.
“I was a captain at Indiana; so was AJ,” Tuttle said. “We’re both pretty good leaders. Obviously, that takes time in a new program. We’re team guys and we’re going to do whatever it takes to win and hard nosed. Whenever there’s adversity, we’re gonna keep our heads down and keep fighting until the end. There’s a lot more to it, but just hard-nosed, gritty guys coming in here and doing whatever we can.”
