"It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made": Iowa TE Erick All on leaving Michigan after four years

Erick All transferred to Iowa following the conclusion of the 2022 college football season after playing four years at Michigan. The tight end missed most of 2022 due to a back injury and decided to move to the Hawkeyes, where he reunited with quarterback Cade McNamara.

The former Michigan captain shed light on his decision to move away from Ann Arbor during his media availability at the NFL Combine on Thursday. All noted that it was tough leaving the Wolverines after four years but also felt that it was the best decision he could make.

“It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life,” All said. “I was there for four years. I had a lot of brothers there. I loved all my coaches. It was just a tough decision and having to make that decision I felt like was the best decision to me.”

“I felt like I was turning my back on my teammates, but they were all there for me. They’re my brothers. I still talk to a lot of them today. They had my back and made sure that I was doing good. I love Michigan for that; I love Michigan forever. I just ended up having to go.”

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Erick All says he learned a lot from Michigan coaches

Michigan is rich in a lot of things and its coaching staff, under the leadership of Jim Harbaugh, was one of them. This was notably crucial to Erick All’s career with the Wolverines.

During his time in Ann Arbor, All experienced guidance from three different position coaches: Sherrone Moore, Jay Harbaugh, and Grant Newsome. He acknowledged that each coach brought unique perspectives and insights to his development.

“They pretty much taught me everything that a tight end needs to know. Being a tight end, they taught me everything,” Erick All said. “And honestly, my first tight end coach was Sherrone Moore. Second was Coach [Jay] Harbaugh. And then I had G-News [Grant Newsome].

“Coach Moore was the type of coach that was a perfectionist. You had to do everything perfectly, everything how he coached you. Coach Jay Harbaugh was a teacher. He taught you all the little things; he taught you pretty much everything you need to know on the defensive side of the ball.”

During his four-year tenure at Michigan, Erick All recorded 54 receptions for 565 yards and two touchdowns, playing most of his minutes in the 2021 season. The tight end recorded 21 receptions for 299 yards and three touchdowns for Iowa this season before sustaining a knee injury in October.