Dominic Tomasi Dominic Tomasi ( born 1928 ) is an American football player who played guard for the University of Michigan Wolverines . He was a four - year starter and was selected as both the captain and Most Valuable Player of the National Champion 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team . High school . A native of Flint , Michigan , Tomasi attended Flint Northern High School . In 1944 , at age 16 , the 5 foot , 8 inch , 178 pound Tomasi was selected by the Associated Press to its All - Michigan football team at the guard position . University of Michigan . In 1945 , Tomasi enrolled at the University of Michigan where he played both football for Fritz Crisler and baseball for Ray Fischer . Tomasi was a four - year starter for the 1945 , 1946 , 1947 and 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team s that won 23 straight games ( including undefeated seasons in 1947 and 1948 ) , defeated USC , 49 - 0 , in the 1948 Rose Bowl . During his sophomore year , Tomasi ' s photograph was published in newspapers across the country with a caption calling him " a charging block of granite for the Michigan Wolverines , " and he was selected as a second - team All - Big Ten guard by the conference coaches . Before the 1947 season got underway , one writer noted that Tomasi " is back for more and will give anyone a race for All - America honors . " The 1947 Michigan Wolverines team completed the season undefeated . The Wolverines outscored their opponents 394 - 53 , and Coach Fritz Crisler credited Tomasi " for much of his team ' s offensive punch . " Tomasi was again named to the second - team All - Big Ten team . Tomasi ' s blocking in the 1948 Rose Bowl helped Michigan outscore the USC Trojans 49 - 0 , and in March 1948 , his teammates elected him to be captain of the 1948 team — the first time a guard had been selected as Michigan ' s captain in 33 years . In 1948 , Tomasi was both team captain and one of the top performers on Michigan ' s second consecutive undefeated team . In October 1948 , one columnist described Tomasi ' s role as follows : " As long as Michigan has operatives like Dominic Tomasi , the hard - hitting guard who captains the team , the Wolverines will give a good account of themselves . Tomasi isn ' t big as linemen of the Western Conference run , but he is one of the very best guards in intercollegiate circles . He stands only five , ten and weighs 180 pounds , tops , yet he has been has been a regular since he began playing as a 17 - year - old freshman . Extremely fast , and a deadly blocker , ' Tommy ' is the key man of the Wolverine offense . His ability to ' turn corners ' at full speed and block with split - second precision means as much yardage to Michigan as if he were an All - America ball carrier . Tomasi is also an outstanding second baseman on Michigan ' s championship baseball team and his work has attracted several big league scouts . As in football , he has been a regular since 1946 . He shows the same hustle and keen competitive instinct on the diamond as he does on the gridiron . " The 1948 Wolverine team was undefeated for the second consecutive season and was selected as the National Championship team in the final Associated Press poll . At the conclusion of the 1948 season , Tomasi was selected as the team ' s Most Valuable Player , a first - team All - Big Ten guard , and a third - team All - American by the Football Writers Association of America , and the Central Press Association and Newspaper Enterprise Association . Later years . In 1949 , Tomasi passed on a chance to play professional football for the Chicago Bears and instead joined Michigan ' s coaching staff as a line coach . He also played baseball in the Northern loop , batting . 340 and hitting 27 home runs . He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1994 . The University of Michigan Club of Greater Flint awards an annual Dominic Tomasi Scholarship to a resident of Genesee County , Michigan who played a varsity sport and will attend the University of Michigan as a full - time undergraduate student .