After season of injuries, Streets shines in Rose Bowl spotlight

PASADENA, Calif. - For 12 weeks, Tai Streets had a lot of explaining to do. The only problem is, nobody was really around to listen. Only Michigan coach Lloyd Carr and receivers coach Erik Campbell had time for Streets.

The media? No way. Instead of Streets, quarterback Griese looked to Jerame Tuman and Chris Howard as his major targets.

Streets caught just 24 passes in 1997 and only five in the Wolverines final four games. For whatever reason, Streets wasn't the same receiver he was in 1996.

And because Streets didn't have an opportunity to tell anybody why - not that he wanted to - Carr did it for him.

The junior from Matteson, Ill., was playing with a dislocated finger on each hand, with pain so sharp that every time he touched a football, it felt like he was breaking his finger off.

WARREN ZINN/Daily Throughout the Rose Bowl's glorious history, numerous champions have celebrated in the lockerrooms, but on Jan. 1 the jubilation belonged to the Wolverines.

So Streets' performance in the Wolverines' 21-16 over Washington State in the Rose Bowl was surprising if not extraordinary.

"I told you guys all year long that Tai Streets was a great player," Carr said. "He played through the pain and made two huge plays that we needed to win the game."

It would be difficult to underscore Streets' importance in the Rose Bowl. His four catches for 127 yards, but no catches were ever more important than the two touchdown passes, one for 53 and one for 58 yards, that Streets hauled in at the Rose Bowl.

Both came at times when the Wolverines' offense was struggling and the Cougars had Michigan down a touchdown.

And for the first time since Michigan's upset of Ohio State last season, Streets found himself in the spotlight, once again the hero, playing the role of the great receiver that Carr always thought he would be.

"It was difficult to endure the pain for so long," said Streets staring down at his fingers, so swollen that he couldn't wear his receivers' gloves. "But I always worked hard and I just hoped I'd be able to contribute in the Rose Bowl. It just feels great to do it this way."

SARA STILLMAN/Daily Dislocated fingers didn't stop Tai Streets as he caught two touchdown passes in the Rose Bowl.

Streets hadn't always done it that way. Streets caught 10 balls in his first three games and looked like he might improve on his solid 1996 season when he caught 44 passes for 730 yards.

But his production slowly dwindled in the Big Ten season, partially because of his injury and partially because of a lack of confidence.

By the middle of the conference season, Streets had not one, but three dislocated fingers. Carr told him that if he wanted to be in the lineup, he had to play through the pain. No excuses.

Streets never asked for any. Although he dropped the only pass thrown to him in the Wolverines' 34-8 win over Penn State and didn't catch one pass against Minnesota or Ohio State, Streets still contributed.

He worked hard in practice, he tried to play through the pain and he always, always blocked until the whistle on every play.

"A lot of guys would not have played through that kind of pain," Carr said. "Tai Streets was the courage that it takes to play this game. The season didn't go the wat we wanted it to go for him because he was hurt.

"But Tai Streets still did all the little things, he blocked well, he ran good routes, and then he got healthy and made two big plays."

And those two big plays made what was an otherwise dismal season for Streets a successful one. Nobody cares that Streets didn't blossom into the All-American people thought he could be.

All that matters are two touchdowns that Streets scored when Michigan needed them most.

"It's a dream come true," Streets said. "Without a doubt, one of the best days of my life."

09-08-98