Tom Slade Thomas A . Slade ( April 6 , 1952 – November 12 , 2006 ) was an American football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team in 1971 . Saginaw High School . Slade was born in Manotick , Michigan , but was raised in Saginaw , Michigan after being adopted . He played football , basketball and tennis for Saginaw High School and earned All - State honors in football as the quarterback at Saginaw High . Slade was married to former University of Michigan cheerleader , Pam St . John . He had two children , Andrew and Spencer from a previous marriage . Quarterback at University of Michigan . After graduating from Saginaw High in 1970 , Slade attended the University of Michigan where he played quarterback under coach Bo Schembechler . As a sophomore in 1971 , Slade helped lead the 1971 team to an undefeated 11 - 0 record in the regular season . The Wolverines narrowly missed a national championship that year , losing the 1972 Rose Bowl game , 13 - 12 , on a late field goal by Stanford . More than for his passing , Slade was known for being a tough run - blocker who cleared the way for Billy Taylor and the other Wolverine running backs after he handed the ball off . Dennis Franklin took over as quarterback in 1972 , and Slade spent his junior and senior years as a backup for Franklin . Professional career . After graduating from U - M , Slade returned to attend the U - M School of Dentistry and received a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1978 . He taught at the U - M School of Dentistry for three years before starting his own practice in 1981 in nearby Ypsilanti Township , Michigan . Coach Schembechler was one of his dental clients . Slade was also the dentist for the Eastern Michigan University athletic teams . Slade also worked as a color analyst for Michigan football broadcasts on WUOM - FM . In his spare time , Slade was a Michigan High School Athletic Association basketball official and officiated numerous state finals . He also served as a Big Ten and Mid - American Conference women ’ s basketball official . He was active in the Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce and served a three - year term as the president of the EMU Baseball " Dugout Club . " In 2004 , he was inducted into the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame . Battle with leukemia . In 2005 , Slade was diagnosed with leukemia . In June 2006 , former U - M teammates , including Calvin O ' Neal , organized the Tom Slade Marrow Donor Registration Drive to help find marrow donors for Slade and others with leukemia . At the time , Slade noted that he was unable to do the things he loved , like playing golf , running , and enjoying the outdoors . He offered this advice : " You do everything , live every day the fullest . Today could be the last day of your life . " Terry Camp , " Mid - Michigan football legend needs help , " WJRT - TV . Slade remained close to his former coach , Bo Schembechler . The coach sent weekly notes and frequently called and visited after Slade was diagnosed with leukemia . " During a particularly difficult day in the hospital , Slade woke up to see his former coach sitting in a chair against the wall . They looked at each other but said nothing , and Slade fell back to sleep . When he awoke again five hours later , Bo was sitting in the same chair , looking right at him . " Slade died on November 12 , 2006 in Ann Arbor at age 54 . Though Schembechler was ailing himself , he attended Slade ' s funeral . That night , Bo delivered his traditional Thursday night pep talk before the Ohio State game . According to the Detroit News : " Bo ' s speech was not about Ohio State , the Big Ten title or a national championship . The whole speech was about Tom Slade and how , if the players worked hard , listened to their coaches and stuck together as teammates , one day they might be as good a Michigan man as Slade . That was the goal at Michigan , not national championships . " The next morning , Schembechler collapsed and died of heart failure before taping his weekly television show .