NG: Do you still follow Michigan football?

GF: I follow them as closely as I can from either Colorado or California. I have a great allegiance to the Wolverines.

NG: Do you pay attention to other sports at the school?

GF: I´m also interested in basketball. I was very impressed with the Fab Five and depressed for the past couple of years. I´m encouraged with Tommy Amaker as our new coach. He´ll do a fine job.

NG: Other than yourself, who is the greatest football player in Wolverine history?

GF: You can´t do much better than Tom Harmon. He came five years after I did. I got to know him casually. I was tremendously impressed with his capability as a punter, a runner and a passer. He really played first-class football.

NG: Who are smarter, presidents or college football coaches?

GF: They both do a good job in their respective fields.

NG: Who are tougher, offensive linemen or Secret Service agents?

GF: They don´t compete with one another, so I don´t think you can compare them. Offensive linemen are vitally important to those running backs, and Secret Service agents are critically important for the security of their president.

NG: Would offensive linemen make good Secret Service agents?

GF: They would need some specialized training in protection, but at least they would have the fundamental capabilities.

NG: Don´t you think Bo Schembechler would have made a good president?

GF: Bo would be a first-class person in any responsibility he took over. He was a fine, fine football coach, a good athletic director. He´s a classy guy. He could handle any job that was on his doorstep.

NG: Which other presidents could you see lining up as football players?

GF: President Bush might have been a football player. His dad was a good athlete. Dick Nixon was a good substitute at a small college.

NG: You were born in Omaha. Ever wish you had played football for the Cornhuskers?

GF: No, I was very happy to play football at Ann Arbor.

NG: You´ve still got a lot of political clout. Can´t you do something about the lack of a football playoff?

GF: I´ve got enough troubles without getting into that mess.

NG: For the first time since the 1940s, the Big Ten isn´t guaranteed a spot in the Rose Bowl. How do you feel about that?

GF: I think it´s up to them to earn it. If they don´t earn it, then it´s their problem, not anybody else´s.