“(McGuffie) came out of his shell for that."

“(McGuffie) came out of his shell for that."

McGuffie didn’t like the idea of the act, but he went along with it because Wright, a coach, was behind it. McGuffie is still uncomfortable talking about it.

And that was just in front of his teammates and coaches. Outside the program and his close friends, a simple greeting is all he said he wants.

“I don’t really like the attention, to tell you the truth,” McGuffie said. “People probably see me out around campus and stuff, and they’ll say ‘Hi’ to me and stuff. That’s fine. That doesn’t bother me. I have a conversation. It’s just, I usually try to go the other way sometimes when cameras are around or people want to do interviews and stuff because I don’t have much to say, usually.”

The legacy he’s fulfilling

Michigan’s last running back, Mike Hart, loved to talk. As much as he’s remembered for great games on the field, he's perhaps best remembered for his words — guaranteeing victory over Notre Dame, calling out Stanford coach and former Wolverine Jim Harbaugh and describing Michigan State as the Wolverines' "little brother."

McGuffie's football does the talking.

His stardom comes and goes with his numbers. McGuffie has looked excellent at times (Notre Dame) and like a freshman at others (Wisconsin).

“I’m just trying to do my job and just trying to help the team,” McGuffie said before Michigan played Wisconsin. “And if that means taking a role, then so be it. But I’m just trying to do what I can to help my team at this point.”

How’s this for raising the expectations McGuffie has for himself? The last two running backs who had more attempts as a true freshman, and played a full four years, set the program’s all-time rushing record. The first was Anthony Thomas, who was a freshman in 1997. The most recent was Hart, a freshman in 2004.

“He knows what he has to do out there,” Hart said. “And he’s not cocky, but he’s confident and knows what he’s got to do to get out there and play. He’s got confidence in himself that he has the talent, and that’s exactly what you need.”

Of Michigan's top five running backs, McGuffie is the only to stay healthy this year. That may be a little bit of luck, but it also stems from his blue-collar football attitude.

“Just doing everything hard in practice — that’s what keeps you injury free,” McGuffie said. “Because you go half-cocked in practice, then you’re going to go half-cocked in the game. When you’re going half speed, that’s when you’re liable to get injured, because either you’re out of shape, or you’re not used to running a lot.”

The legacy he wants

McGuffie admits he’s homesick.

“Sam will just plain tell you,” Jackson said. “ ‘Hey Coach, I’m homesick. I’d like to go back to see my mother.’ ”

McGuffie’s mom planned to come in for the Utah game, but she was bumped from her flight a couple times. She ended up flying to Dayton, Ohio and driving more than three hours to Ann Arbor just to make the game.

And McGuffie’s dad, a Lapeer native, has been in Michigan since the Miami (Ohio) game. McGuffie looks forward to the unbiased assessment of his play he gets each week from his dad.

But his parents’ visits haven’t completely erased his homesickness.

“I miss Texas,” McGuffie said. “When you’re born and raised in Texas, of course you’re going to miss Texas. I miss my family most of all. I miss my friends, my best friend. You know, it’s just like any other kid would miss their family and their friends and just being in their own bed, in their own warm bed, watching cartoons or whatever on Saturday mornings.”

That sounds more like the thoughts of a “big kid” than a “little man,” which is quite appropriate, considering McGuffie’s post-football plans. McGuffie has told Jackson he wants to work with children after football.

“I don’t think he like attention at all,” Jackson said. “With little kids, I think he likes signing autographs and hanging out with little kids. He don’t want to be in positions where he’s around situations that he’s uncomfortable in. He likes being around little kids and making them laugh and making them smile.”

McGuffie doesn’t want to be remembered just for his YouTube videos, and his play at Michigan is giving fans more to remember.