Ex-Player Rips Schembechler in Article

Longtime former Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler abused and humiliated his players and stepsons, a former player writes in a magazine article.

“Bully Bo,” written by ex-player Elwood Reid, appears in the September issue of Gentleman’s Quarterly, which is to appear on newsstands Tuesday. Reid was approached about writing the article by Schembechler’s youngest stepson, Matt, 40, the Ann Arbor News reported. The story is a recollection of the men’s experiences with Schembechler, who coached the Wolverines from 1969-89.

“I figured [Matt Schembechler] has an ax to grind. And maybe I do, too, because the truth is that Bo has never left me,” writes Reid, who played two seasons at Michigan and did not speak with Bo Schembechler before writing the article. “Even now I can hear his voice, feel the snap of his gaze as I stand in judgment before him.

“Matt also bears the mark of Bo and his demanding how-to-be-a-man dicta. I want to hear his story: what it was like to live with the man for whom I’ve carried around a sack of hate since I stepped on the field more than a decade ago. A man who haunts my dreams.”

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South Carolina guard Kevin Rivers probably will miss the season after injuring his knee in practice.

“I feel terrible for Kevin,” Coach Lou Holtz said Saturday. “I’ve never felt this bad. It was another foolish injury. We’re not scrimmaging, not going live, but somebody gets out of position, falls on his knee when he’s standing up. Until you become sound, these things seem to happen.”