The center grabbed the microphone with a clear plan in mind when it came time for him to take the stage at the talent show.
It was time to let his teammates see him in a different way.
Richard Burney said he already knew what song it was.
Burney said that when he was a starter at Virginia, he would sing the song in the shower or alone in his room.
I never know when you might walk by So I gotta be right on time When I see you
When I see you
There is something endearing about watching a big man belt out a song by a small woman. The Michigan teammates began clapping and singing.
The reaction of the players in the room was watched by Sherrone Moore. It was cool to see him open up, and it was great.
His teammates voted him an alternate captain seven months after he arrived. The best player on the best offensive line in college football is not usually the center of attention. "When I See U" is his season's unofficial theme.
The College Football Playoff semifinals will be played at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. One of the best rushing teams in the nation is led by the driver of that team. He's a veteran presence for J.J. McCarthy, who is trying to win the national championship for the first time.
He's a locker room favorite because of his smarts, work ethic and leadership. It's not surprising to anyone at Virginia, who watched him grow from a walk-on to a Rimington Award finalist. Those who know him well understood when he decided to transfer.
As a former teammate and coach, they should run the fan club.
Long ago, they saw this.
Former Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall said there was no luck involved in preparing for an opportunity. Everyone on the previous staff at Virginia was smiling. What else are you expecting?
The journey itself has been unexpected and filled with challenges as he went from largely overlooked high school recruit to walk on to the best center in the country. The best season of his life was followed by the most gut-wrenching challenge of his life when tragedy struck his former home.
The clarity provided by this season has given anyone who doubted whether he could perform on a bigger stage a reason to doubt him. He believed he could be the key player in a power run game. Being physical is something he thrives on. That's not correct. He loves being physically active.
The Joe Moore Award, given to the best offensive line in the country, is the most prestigious of the individual honors.
Michigan won the award for the second year in a row due to the work done by Oluwatimi.
He is an extraordinary player because of the way he attacks his preparation and the way he attacks the game. He's got power, he's got strength, and he's got physical. His leadership qualities have really pushed the guys because they see how he works, how he is, and they just want to copy that.
At Michigan and previously at Virginia, Oluwatimi has always prided himself in being a great teammate. He stayed in touch with his former teammates and was part of several group texts, including one with offensive linemen who transferred at the same time he did.
The Virginia football players were killed after returning home from a class trip. They played together for two years. The man arrived after the person left.
The two played against each other on the scout team. The text exchanges between friends and brothers continued as he tried to find a way to deal with the loss while still being connected to those in Virginia.
The week was a rough one. I wasn't with the team when all that happened, so it was difficult not being with my guys. The team went to three funerals in two weeks and all the mourning and tears hit home. It is difficult. They're in the heavens. Their teammates are proud of them. I'm proud of them. Some angels are up in the sky.
The phone calls included teammates who had also left.
It is difficult being detached from the situation, but also very close to it, said former Virginia teammate Ryan Swoboda. Being able to talk to the guys and share their stories was the most helpful.
On the day of the memorial in Virginia, he suited up for a game. His father was going to have a brain tumor removed. Being on the football field gave him solace.
It's my happy space when we're on that football field. It was a break from the grieving process when I was with my men. It wasn't hard for me to play football and it was needed for me.
Harbaugh said that he has the strength of 10 men. He had the physical strength of 10 men but also the mental strength of 10 men. He was affected by the tragedy at Virginia. Some of his friends. The surgery to remove the tumor in his brain was a success. This week was all about the man. I don't think I could handle that at that age.
With a heavy heart, he pushed forward to finish the season strong with a Big Ten title and a spot in theCFP. A ray of hope is heading into the final stretch of the year after his father recovered from the surgery.
There is no doubt that the biggest on-field tests are still to come.
It might feel like it, but out of football powerhouse DeMatha Catholic high school in Maryland, nobody knew what to make of him. After a year at Air Force, he realized that this is not for him.
A former high school teammate told him that he thought it would be a good fit. It was close to home. He was the youngest of six children to Nigerian immigrants.
The coaching staff was familiar with the walk-on. Virginia didn't offer him a scholarship because they didn't know if he could add enough weight and mature enough to receive one.
There is a risk aversion by a program when they don't know for certain. We wish we'd done something earlier after seeing his growth and progress in the Air Force. It was easy to act when we had the second chance.
When it comes to getting to know a new group of teammates, playing on his second college team is a challenge. A simple approach was taken by the man.
Every coach and every teammate loves someone who is going to work hard for the squad and be kind to one another. You need to be real. If you're humble and a hard worker, everyone will love you, and that's how I've been able to get along with the teams that I've been on.
The man put in long hours both with the team and on his own. He had to improve his flexibility in his hips in the weight room. Gaining better flexibility with his lower body was one of the things he wanted to improve on.
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Staying late to help a teammate, watching extra game tape, or waking up early were all examples of the extra work. He takes everything into consideration and works to perfect his craft, which is why he is described as surgical.
He is one of the top 1% of people in strength, speed, agility. He's in the top 1% of people in terms of his mental understanding of scheme and techniques and he's also in the top 1% of people who finish plays. It's a nightmare for a defensive lineman when they're in the top 1%.
When the transfer rules were in place, he and Jackson Matteo got into a routine. Matteo talked about the award. Matteo repeated every drill they did together. Matteo said that all those words were meaningless. You can see a young man take full responsibility for his fate and turn it into reality.
The assistant to Garett Tujague, who was the offensive line coach at the time, became the starting center for the team. They spent a lot of time watching tape. Even when things wouldn't go as planned, the calm presence of the man who set the front and called all protections gave the field a sense of security.
Jack was a teammate of Jack's.
Tujague said it was nearly impossible to ruffle his feathers. He was in control of the situation. I would come over to the sideline to talk to the linemen and they would tell me that they had it. It was much easier for me and him to prepare for Saturdays.
Mendenhall had his players go through assessments to figure out the best way to communicate and learn. The scoring was tilted towards learning and decision making.
Mendenhall said that it was magic for the position he played. His ability to identify defensive fronts, in a sequential, thorough way, and then have us in the appropriate run play, check or protection is almost zero.
Mendenhall said he saw more work being done by Oluwatimi in the future. "Olu is here again" was the text he received from strength coaches.
He probably walked in and out of the building more than any other person.
Freshman and sophomores would be helped by film sessions and stay after practice. If someone wanted to ask a question about technique, formations or alignments, they'd text him.
"Oli embodies that 'earned not given' philosophy that Coach Mendenhall had, and that's probably more than any other person that came to that program," he added.
It was the first time in Virginia history that a player had been a finalist for a trophy. The decision had to be made when Mendenhall left.
"I wanted to go to the NFL but the draft grades and scouts told me to come back to school." I decided to look for a different opportunity to try to improve my draft grade, because I felt that I did all I could at the University of Virginia. I wanted to go to a place where we could compete for a national title and win a conference title.
He was transferring for the second time. Michigan was able to see who he was.
The Michigan recruiting staff was notified by the name entering the portal. The Michigan center position was in need of a veteran presence because the anchor of the offensive line was leaving.
Moore went back to watch the film after he knew who he was. He acted very humble when he came on his visit and we knew he would be great. Everyone loved it at first sight.
Michigan had always been a dream school for Oluwatimi. The opportunity to showcase his ability as a power run blocker added to the appeal.
Burney said it was a great fit. I told him to put it all together and now we're here. It's insane.
As soon as he arrived in Ann arbor, the same characteristics his teammates and coaches rave about were on display. By the time spring practice started, he had already worked on the play book.
In the first few days of spring ball, he asked when he would put the play in. Moore made a statement. It's not going in until you install seven. He wanted to make sure he had it down because he was looking at them.
Those who have watched him over the past three seasons can't help but smile after seeing his play this season.
The University of Michigan's game against the University of Connecticut in Week 3 was visited by Martin Weisz. The game was a 59-0 win, but Weisz remembers watching the players interact with their coaches and teammates after the game.
Even though he was in the offensive line room at Michigan for less than a year, Weisz said he had already emerged as someone who everyone could rely on. "After the game, they always have a tailgate for players and their families, and one of the younger centers was going over film with Olu, asking him all these different questions about football, life, how he manages it all," said the source. They take his words very seriously because he's been through it all.
There is no question that the offensive line has been improved. Moore said his presence was important for McCarthy because "you've got someone in the middle that can help you and get you out of things if you're uncertain."
The biggest test is still ahead of us. Georgia's defensive front was too much for Michigan to handle in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.
This is new to him, but he won't lose focus. It's not in his nature. He knows what's at stake and how much his teammates depend on him in the biggest game of the season.
"So far this year, I'm happy with how I've preformed and what I've done," he said. I have to show some more. I'm looking forward to it.
It's a far cry from a year ago when he was told to return to school. The NFL scouts are looking at the same person as well. Any discussion of the draft has been put away.
There has been time to reflect. A team meeting was held the night before the Ohio State game. As Harbaugh talked, he looked around, taking everything in as if he had never seen it before.
"My college journey brought me here, and I am able to compete for a national title," he said. I'm speechless as I reflect on the journey.
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