Gambling Man: Murphy Rejects Redshirt for Stretch Run
11/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Brad Rudner
For the better part of the last three years, Colin and Imelda Murphy looked for any possible way to watch their eldest son, James Murphy, play soccer.
Despite being nearly 4,000 miles away and adapting to the five-hour time difference that saw a good number of James' matches being played in the middle of the night, the Murphys would often gather around a single laptop at their kitchen table in Oxford, England, and keep their eyes fixed on No. 9 in the Maize and Blue kit.
The game of soccer, as any true fan will tell you, can get incredibly intense at times. So when the internet connection at the Murphy home suddenly goes out in the later stages of a match, there's only one place to turn.
"Thank God for Twitter, that's all I'll say," said Colin, only half-jokingly.
Last week, Colin and Imelda made the long trip across the pond to see James play his final matches at Michigan. Their visit was never in doubt. Whether they'd see their son play was.
James with his parents on Senior Night
Back on Sept. 11 at Maryland, in the team's fourth match of the season, Murphy went in for a tackle and tweaked his left knee. He didn't think much of it at first and tried to run it off, but after five minutes of play, he knew something was up.
Murphy was eventually diagnosed with a small tear in his MCL. At the time, it was deemed a minor injury, one he'd be able to recover from in less than two weeks. But as time went on, those two weeks became four, and then those four became six.
It wasn't supposed to go down like this.
A highly productive, and healthy, player for three years, Murphy was elected captain before the season started. The injury, through no fault of his own, came at the absolute worst time. Not being on the field with his teammates for his final season had to be crushing, but it forced him to find new ways to be a leader.
"Personally, when you're on your own, you think about it a little more," Murphy said earlier this week. "Being captain, whenever I'm with the team, it's my job to set an example whether I'm playing or not. I did whatever I could to stay involved and help these guys."
"We came up trumps with James Murphy," added head coach Chaka Daley. "He's done an incredible job leading these guys. Our chemistry has never been better, about as good as it can get. Sometimes you can have guys being drawn in so many different directions, but he's kept us unified, which, as any coach will tell you, is huge for any successful program. He never wavered."
He ended up missing 10 matches, though U-M fared quite well in his absence, going 5-3-2.
As he got closer to being medically cleared, a decision had to be made -- redshirt and sit the rest of the year or roll the dice and play. The debate came to a head before the team's Oct. 24 match at Indiana. Daley left the decision entirely up to Murphy.
Murphy admits he went back and forth several times before ultimately making up his mind, and who could blame him? Redshirting made some sense from the fact that he had already missed half the season.
But this was his team, and in the end, that was too much to say no to.
"His time was now, and he wanted to do it with the team he helped foster over these last three years," said Daley. "He told me, 'If I played five minutes a game, that'd be fine, if that's what you need from me.' That's about as selfless as you get from a senior captain."
Murphy returned to action against Western Michigan (Oct. 27), playing 30 minutes off the bench. Because of the two-month layoff, he wasn't fully match fit and lacked sharpness, but getting his legs moving again proved to be valuable heading into the team's annual showdown with in-state rival Michigan State on Halloween just four days later.
Hard to imagine there being more on the line. The Wolverines went into the game looking to win the Big Bear Trophy for the second consecutive year, something they had never done before in the history of the series. More important than that, they needed a win to keep their NCAA Tournament chances afloat.
But it was also Senior Night. With his parents in the stands in what could ultimately prove to be his final home game, Murphy started the match, played 61 minutes and scored the match's only goal -- a beautifully lofted header at the far post -- to give Michigan the crucial 1-0 victory.
After the goal, Murphy ran over to the team's bench, pointing and blowing kisses to his parents in the stands. You couldn't have scripted it any better if you tried.
Murphy on Senior Night
"James hasn't scored a lot of goals, but he's scored big goals," said Daley.
Murphy has scored 14 goals in his U-M career. Six have been game-winners.
You can add this one to the list, right up there with his sensational strike from two years ago at Ohio State that was seen by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. There must be something about Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, because Murphy scored again on Wednesday (Nov. 5), though U-M lost to the Buckeyes, 3-1.
The Wolverines open up Big Ten Tournament play on Sunday (Nov. 8) at Maryland, the site of Murphy's initial injury two months ago. If his recent form is any indication, the Terrapins will be facing a rejuvenated Murphy who knows his season -- and possibly his career -- could be on the line.
"I felt like I could still offer something to this team," Murphy said. "Our season isn't over."
When it does end, Murphy will have no shortage of options. Daley believes he could have a career as a professional player whether in the U.S. or with an international club. He'll go back to England for the holiday break and talk some things over with his family before returning for the second semester to get his degree.
"It's difficult to put this whole experience into words other than to say it's been very special," Murphy said. "The staff and players, both past and present, made me feel so welcome. Without those guys, it doesn't really mean anything. I couldn't have asked for anything more. I'm so, so lucky to have this experience."
