Former president had an impact

Even with a Rose Bowl matchup against USC drawing steadily nearer, Michigan spent much of Wednesday talking about the death of Gerald Ford.

Players and coaches, visiting Lawry’s restaurant for the annual Beef Bowl, said that Ford remained a presence in the program in recent years.

The former president, who played for the Wolverines in the early 1930s, watched games as often as possible and stopped by the football office whenever he passed through Ann Arbor.

Athletic Director Bill Martin said he keeps a handwritten letter from a young Ford to show to recruits and their parents.

Players reminisced about pep talks that Ford had given the team, and Coach Lloyd Carr, who discussed the death with his players briefly on Wednesday morning, recalled one speech in particular.

It was 1997 and the Wolverines, ranked No. 1, were preparing for rival Ohio State. Early in the week, Carr worried about his players feeling uptight and told them to treat the Buckeyes like any other game.

Then Ford came to campus.

“He told them, ‘This Saturday, you’re going to play in the most important game in Michigan history,’ ” Carr recalled. “So much for taking the pressure off.”

david.wharton@latimes.com