ANN ARBOR -- A proud father answered the phone Monday morning with a question: "What number did they give him?"
Harold "Butch" Woolfolk wanted to know, and moments later, his son was calling on the other line with the answer.
Troy Woolfolk, whose father was an All-America running back at Michigan more than a quarter-century ago, stepped out onto the practice field Monday wearing a new jersey -- No. 29 -- with an old, familiar name embroidered on the back. And just like that, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound freshman cornerback, who starred at Fort Bend Dulles High in Texas, is officially a Wolverines legacy.
"It's a big day, no doubt," said the elder Woolfolk, 47, who works for Forward Edge, Inc., a Houston-based group that helps companies implement substance-abuse programs. "I'm proud of him, and excited for him. But the biggest thing for me is, I know he's at a place where I don't have to worry about him."
That's a relief, as well as a bit of a surprise. The father figured his son might play for the University of Texas. His mother, Regina, director of community relations for the Houston Texans, quietly hoped it'd be Texas A&M. Troy thought he'd end up at Nebraska.
Ohio State didn't make the short list, but that's about the only sign of any maize-and-blue meddling. ("They sent a letter, but we burned it," Butch jokes.) In fact, while Woolfolk's elder son, Jerell, now a senior at Sam Houston State, paid a childhood visit to Ann Arbor with his dad, Troy never did.
"He has been real hands-off with everything," said Troy, who "fell in love" with the Wolverines' coaching staff when he visited U-M's evaluation camp last summer and committed soon after. "My dad wanted it to be my decision. He made his own legacy at Michigan, and he wanted me to make my own footsteps."
They'll be quick ones, though, just like his dad's. Troy Woolfolk runs a 10.6-second 100-meter dash. Butch still holds the school record at Michigan in the 200 (20.59).
