A Look Back: Jay Riemersma

(image via MLive)

(image via Politico)

(image via Getty images)

I only barely remember Jay Riemersma playing for Michigan, but have strong memories of his consistently solid performances while on the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers.   

Jay Riemersma was the first of a string of extremely strong tight ends at Michigan, but it took him awhile to find his position.  In addition to being named an all-state quarterback in the MIHSAA all-star game in 1990 (very brief highlight here), Riemersma finished his high school career as Zeeland High School’s all time leading scorer in basketball.  Like many top athletes I’ve talked to since I’ve started writing at Touch the Banner, Riemersma changed positions in college.  Unlike some of those other athletes, Riemersma actually appeared in games at his original position.  Although he played sparingly in his first three years at Michigan (including one redshirt year), Riemersma had completed 6 of his 11 pass attempts for 79 yards and a touchdown.  

At the end of his redshirt-sophomore campaign, Riemersma was not only looking up at solid incumbent starter Todd Collins on the depth chart, but also reeling from a rotator cuff injury.  When looking back at his career, Riemersma told the Grand Rapids Press, “I remember sitting in a meeting with Gary Moeller, who said the team had an opportunity for me at tight end and to give it a shot during spring ball. I said I’d try it, but if it didn’t go well during spring ball, I’d give quarterback another shot.  Some called the injury luck. I called it divine intervention. I never would have played in the NFL as a quarterback.”

Riemersma was probably right, and he was certainly a more effective tight end than he would have been at quarterback.  In his last two years at Michigan, he hauled in 73 passes for 696 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He was picked in the 7th round of the 1995 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills.

Jay Riemersma’s NFL career was defined by two consistent traits:  Productivity and injuries.  Despite undergoing eight surgeries in nine years, Riemersma never played fewer than 11 games in any season, amassed over 2500 yards (2300 for Buffalo, 200 for Pittsburgh).  In the end, it was an Achilles tendon injury that did in his career at the end of the 2004 season.

In an interesting turn after his playing career ended, Jay Riemersma decided to run for public office.  He ran as the Republican candidate from Michigan’s 2nd congressional district in 2009.  Former Coach Lloyd Carr joined Riemersma on the campaign trail.  He said of Riemersma, “at the toughest times, he stood the tallest.”  Carr went on to lightly compare Riemersma to President Gerald Ford, saying, “I’m not making him the president yet, but I can tell you this, this guy has the same kind of character and same kind of integrity that President Ford had.”  I’ve linked a longer version of Carr’s speech about Riemersma here.  

In the end, Jay Riemersma was narrowly defeated (by less than 1% of the vote) in the primary by Bill Huizenga, who would go on to win the general election.  Regardless of our individual political sentiments, seeing Michigan alumni have passion to give back to their communities after they play is inspiring.  In many ways, Jay Riemersma is a classic Michigan success story:  an in-state phenom who faced injury adversity throughout his career, but consistently did whatever he had to to help his teams win.  

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