On the second Saturday of December, thousands of fans dressed in maize and blue descended upon the upscale Somerset Collection in Troy. It wasn’t for a holiday sale or to see Santa; instead, they were there to see star running back Blake Corum of Michigan.
TROY, Michigan The line wound its way from one department store wing to the next and back, starting in the middle of the mall’s north court and continuing down distinct hallways. It ventured outdoors as well.
Known for his charitable work off the field and his on-field accomplishments (he is just one touchdown short of breaking Michigan’s all-time rushing touchdown record), Corum planned the first-ever toy drive to benefit Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. Corum invited fans to bring toys and provided a free picture in return, using his name, image, and likeness to draw in a crowd.
And they sure as hell showed up. An event organizer put the number of attendees at almost five thousand, and Corum later told reporters that he thought between twenty and twenty-five thousand toys had been collected for the holidays.
Corum remarked, “I didn’t think it was going to be this big, but I was expecting a big turnout.” It appeared as though Michigan as a whole had emerged. You had the impression that you were in the Big House. That was how it seemed.
The event lasted just over two hours, so Corum was limited to taking about 500 pictures on stage. However, he was joined by a number of his Michigan teammates, including tight end Colston Loveland, defensive backs Mike Sainristil and Will Johnson, and linebacker Junior Colson.
A few fans showed up early to the mall and waited in line for hours to give a toy and get their picture taken with Corum. A few donned Corum jerseys, while others sported the well-known “Michigan vs. Everybody” t-shirt. One superfan, however, was sporting an enormous ring-shaped hat commemorating Michigan’s 1997 Rose Bowl victory over Washington State.
The all-Big Ten cornerback for Michigan, Johnson, remarked, “It was like we were almost movie stars.” “They had a great deal of affection.” We had a lot of photos being taken. Engaging with fans in such a way is beneficial as it allows you to become fully immersed in the community and get to know everyone.
The incident occurred as Michigan, 13-0 and the Big Ten champions for the third consecutive year, started getting ready for their Rose Bowl matchup with Alabama on January 1. In addition to being a highly anticipated matchup between two well-known college football brands, the victor will go on to compete for the national championship.
But for now, toys were on Corum and his friends’ minds. The Michigan running back took the microphone as the event’s time ran out to express gratitude to everyone who came. He mentioned that he had already discussed sending some of the gifts to Colson and Sainristil’s home country of Haiti because the turnout was so much higher than anticipated.
After that, everyone rushed towards the audience, trying their best to squeeze in those who were waiting in line but couldn’t make it to the stage in time. Corum smiled and said “yes” to every request, which is just one more example of how he has become one of the most well-liked players on the Michigan football team.
“There will be a large crowd when it’s Blake Corum,” said wide receiver Semaj Morgan. There were many people there. It was a fantastic event. He was unable to see the crowd at all. There were so many people that not everyone could fit on the stage.
The occasion came right after Corum’s yearly pre-Thanksgiving turkey drive in Ypsilanti, where 600 turkeys and 600 gallons of milk were given away before the November holiday by the Michigan running back and an expanding group of volunteers. Corum uses his earnings from various name, image, and likeness deals to pay for it, and it has become a staple for everyone involved.
This time, with Christmas approaching quickly, Corum collaborated with Champions Circle, the officially approved marketing division of Michigan athletics, and Valiant Management Group to deliver in a unique manner. He gathered thousands of toys for underprivileged families by leveraging his celebrity, brand, and Michigan’s athletic success.
Corum remarked, “I hope Santa doesn’t have any beef with me today.” “We had a larger attendance than him at this event.”
