More Michigan football icon Bo Schembechler disciples defend coach, including Jack Harbaugh

More than 100 former Michigan football players, coaches and staff members attached their names to a letter, increasing the volume behind the defense of Bo Schembechler's legacy.

At question whether Schembechler knew that team doctor Robert Anderson was sexually assaulting his players and if the coach did enough to stop it.

Most notable among the names is Jack Harbaugh, an assistant coach under Schembechler from 1973-79 and the father of current U-M coach Jim Harbaugh.

The younger Harbaugh is not listed on the letter, addressed to "the University of Michigan Community."

[ Ex-Michigan player: If I could talk to Bo Schembechler now, I'd ask 'why?' ]

The group attests in a letter obtained by the Free Press on Friday that Schembechler "would never have tolerated any abuse or mistreatment" of anyone within the program. They also say that if the coach was "aware of such behavior, Coach Schembechler would have acted immediately to put a stop to it and would have made sure anyone responsible for it would have been removed from the University of Michigan football program."

But that's contrary to what several others say. Richard Goldman, a former U-M student broadcaster, said in a news conference Wednesday that he told Schembechler of abuse he suffered at the hands of Anderson three different times in the 1980s. The first two times, Goldman said Schembechler directed him to athletic director Don Canham. The third time, Goldman said Schembechler went to Canham and argued over Anderson's role with the university.

But Anderson was not fired.

[ Former Michigan athletes demand Dana Nessel investigate handling of Robert Anderson reports ]

Last week, former U-M wide receiver Gilvanni Johnson said he was assaulted numerous times by Anderson and told Schembechler “that Dr. Anderson played with my genitals and he put his finger in my anus.”

Johnson said Schembechler responded by saying he would “check on that with the medical staff,” but never heard back from his coach about it.

The letter also expresses sympathy "to all victims of sexual abuse." It also says: "All of us received physicals to play football at Michigan. Many of us never thought at any time we had been abused during the process. And, subsequently nothing was reported to Bo."

SHAWN WINDSOR: Whatever you think about Dr. Anderson survivors, don't ask 'why now?'

Others on the letter: Jim Brandstatter, the former U-M offensive lineman who has been a radio analyst and announcer for the team for decades; Dan Dierdorf, another ex-Michigan offensive lineman, the longtime "Monday Night Football" analyst and Brandstatter's current radio partner on U-M games; Jim Hackett, the former interim athletic director who played for U-M in the 1970s; Tom Lewand, the former Detroit Lions president who graduated from U-M and was a team volunteer near the end of Schembechler's tenure as coach and Jon Falk, the former longtime team equipment manager.

Other players on the letter: Mark Donahue, Steve Everitt; John Kolesar; Reggie McKenzie and Mark Messner.

This letter comes a few days after Schembechler's widow, Cathy, son Shemy and his wife published another letter saying that the coach 'was not aware' of Anderson's abuse at U-M.

Anderson is accused by hundreds of former patients of sexual assault, according to a WilmerHale report commissioned by the university. That same report says that "(a) senior University administrator was told about Dr. Anderson’s misconduct several times between 1978 or 1979 and 1981 but did not take appropriate action."

The body of the letter in full:

"We are former players, coaches and staff members who played for and worked with Bo Schembechler during the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s. We saw Coach Schembechler in victory and in defeat, in front of crowds 100,000 strong, and in quiet moments of reflection. Many of us met him for the first time in our parents’ living rooms when we were barely old enough to vote and most of us stayed in touch with him right up until his death in 2006.

"Our experiences tell us that the Bo Schembechler we knew would never have tolerated any abuse or mistreatment of his players, his staff, or any other individual. We believe firmly, that if he were aware of such behavior, Coach Schembechler would have acted immediately to put a stop to it and would have made sure anyone responsible for it would have been removed from the University of Michigan football program.

"We want to be clear: as a group, we are sympathetic to all victims of sexual abuse. Yearly physicals by family doctors, or athletic physicals by a university doctor were the same physicals as performed by the United States military. There was no reason to suspect abuse in those circumstances. If Coach Schembechler was aware of any criminal or sexual abuse, as we stated above, in our opinion, he would have been outraged and acted immediately. It is reasonable to assume that Coach Schembechler, like many at the time, believed the physicals were not abusive but rather performed in accordance with standard medical practices.

"All of us received physicals to play football at Michigan. Many of us never thought at any time we had been abused during the process. And, subsequently nothing was reported to Bo. One of the strengths of Coach Schembechler was to motivate players to be better than they thought they could be. Bo always expected the best from us because he held himself to the same standard. The effort to destroy Coach Schembechler’s reputation and legacy will not go unchallenged by those of us who knew him. Just because he isn’t present doesn’t mean he’s not here.

"We are proud of our connection to Coach Schembechler, and we stand today in complete support of his wife Cathy, his son Glenn III (Shemy) and his memory."

Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: More Bo Schembechler disciples defend coach, including Jack Harbaugh