It's no secret that Michigan coach Lloyd Carr isn't a huge fan of divulging secrets about his personal life. He likes it about as much as he likes root canals. Not even the CIA can crack his outer shell. It's been more than 20 years since he first joined the Michigan coaching staff, and still few know "the real Lloyd Carr."

Most people don't know that he thought about studying journalism as a Missouri undergraduate.

They don't know that the former Northern Michigan star quarterback tried out for the Green Bay Packers for a roster spot behind Bart Starr.

They don't remember that Carr wasn't Michigan's first choice to replace Gary Moeller as head coach back in 1995 - and that legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno was the one that helped change Michigan officials' minds.

They don't know that Carr's a voracious reader who immerses himself into books the way his 300-pound lineman engulf a hot meal. Or that Carr quotes leaders such as Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt in his pre-game speeches and inscribes their words in Michigan's playbook.

"Lloyd has a public side and a private side," said former Michigan lineman and current radio broadcaster Jim Brandstatter. "When you have the opportunity to speak with him privately, he can be as charming and interesting of a guy you could imagine. Lloyd's a three- dimensional human being with great interests outside of football, and I'm lucky to see all of them. A lot of folks just see him as somewhat stoic on the sidelines, but believe me, there's a fire in there."

Blue-collar man

Nobody has to explain to Carr the meaning of "toughness." Born in Hawkins County, Tenn., Carr grew up in a tumultuous and racially insensitive environment. He saw signs for "colored" and "white" drinking fountains. He'd enter the bus, and notice all the black kids were sitting in the back.

At age 10, his family moved to the industrial outskirts of Detroit. But the country was in a recession, and Carr stared adversity in the eye.

Most of his early years were in the very modest, blue-collar working neighborhood of Riverview. Carr's dad, an hourly worker at McLouth Steel, and mother, a beautician at Hudson's, both worked hard to make ends meet.

"Our parents lived payday to payday," said Terry Collins, a childhood friend and Lloyd's neighbor growing up. "It wasn't always easy back then, but (the situation) made us into a 'bedroom community,' where everyone knew everyone."

Carr and Collins spent most of their spare time down the street at a local park and recreation center. They'd play pick-up baseball, basketball, ping-pong - anything. And Lloyd was always the leader.

"He had that intangible, that type of contagious personality," said Ernie Mayoros, Lloyd's friend and former football coach at Riverview High School. "Whatever Lloyd said to do, that's what they did. They didn't question him a bit."

Mayoros remembers one football game where Carr - an All-State quarterback - willed his team to victory. With Riverview down 12-0 at halftime to Grosse Isle, Carr gathered his teammates on the sidelines and "gave them a lot of hell." He "let them know we were going to win that game."

"Of course, the language wasn't the cleanest - a lot of four-letter words," Mayoros said.

With his Southern accent and motivational messages, Carr sounded like a Baptist minister - and his coaches donned him with the nickname "The Reverend."

A three-sport athlete at Riverview - football, basketball and baseball - Carr was quite the Mr. Popularity amongst his class of less than 100.

And he didn't limit himself to what sports he would play. One summer, when Carr was in junior high school, he won a tennis tournament. This stunned Patrick Ankney, Carr's high school basketball coach.

"I didn't even know he played tennis," he said.

Carr's extreme competitiveness didn't leave him when he turned in his cleats for a headset.

In eight seasons, he has won more than 75 percent of the games he's coached at Michigan. He won a national title in 1997. And he's taken the Wolverines to seven straight New Year's Day bowl games.

But, at Michigan, that's not always enough.

Critics point to the three 8-4 seasons Michigan has endured. They complain on talk-radio shows, asking why Michigan has been to one Rose Bowl in the past decade.

And they dwell on the 2000 team that boasted arguably the most talented offense in school history, yet faltered twice on the road and didn't contend for the national title.

Carr is a sensitive guy who often gets emotional. The pressure and expectations are sometimes too much for him to handle.