Angell in Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Michigan 7 Historic Mellow Men
Photographed by Joel Seewald, October 11, 2026
1. Michigan 7 Historic Mellow Men Marker
Two Trips to the Rose Bowl 1970 and 1972. 5 All-Americans.
All 7 graduated in 1972.
42 Dr. Billy Taylor MVP, RB set Michigan Rushing Record 1971, All-American, Atlanta Falcons Built Detroit "Get Back Up" Treatment Facility. Author "Get Back Up"
84 Mike Oldham WR, Located the famous "Den" with Butch Carpenter March 1970. Washington Redskins (Now Commandeers) Detroit Community Services Executive
35 Thom Darden DB, All-American, All-Pro Hall of Fame Cleveland Browns NFL Agent and Communications Executive
22 Glenn "Shake & Bake" Doughty WR, All-American, Baltimore Colts 1975 NFL Record Turn-o-Round Season. Built Baltimore City's Historic Shake & Bake Family Fun Center 1982. CEO-Career Information & Training Network.
33 Mike "The Enforcer" Taylor ML All-American New York Jets, Detroit Security Executive
94 Alden "Butch" Carpenter DE, Flint City Hall of Fame, Lawyer Honorary Michigan Law School Butch Carpenter Scholarship Fund. Butch passed February 2, 1978.
65 Reggie McKenzie All-American NCAA Hall of Fame All-Pro Guard Buffalo Bills Highland
this page online
Celebrating The Den of the Mellow Men & Bo's Historic Gridiron Sons
WHEREAS, the two-story house at 1345 Geddes Avenue was where seven Black football players, the largest collection of Black athletes ever at the school on scholarship, made their home from 1970 to 1972, dubbing it The Den of the Mellow Men;
WHEREAS, the seven Black athletes, William "Billy" Taylor (RB), Glenn Doughty (RB/WR), Thomas Darden (DB), Reggie McKenzie (G), Michael Oldham (WR), Michael Taylor (LB), and Alden "Butch" Carpenter (DE), arrived in Ann Arbor to play football in the fall of 1968, and they were soon branding themselves The Mellow Men;
WHEREAS, in 1969, The Mellow Men were starters in Bo Schembechler's first season as head coach. The team defeated the unbeatable Ohio State Buckeyes, 24-12, winning the Big Ten Championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl. The team's victory began college football's greatest rivalry and the famous "10-Year War" between Michigan and Ohio State;
WHEREAS, in 1970, during the Vietnam War, two of The Mellow Men, Billy Taylor and Glenn
2. Michigan 7 Historic Mellow Men Marker top left image
WHEREAS, in 1971, The Mellow Men led Michigan to its third undefeated season, 11-0, beating Ohio State for their second Big Ten Championship. Billy Taylor, the team MVP, scored a historic touchdown with less than 3 minutes remaining. After the team defeated Ohio State, students tore down the goal post and placed it on the front yard of The Den of the Mellow Men;
WHEREAS, Brian Williams, Assistant Director and Archivist for University History at the University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library said, "In the long history of Michigan football, no other class of scholarship athletes living together in a single house in Ann Arbor has represented Michigan's winning culture like the seven 'Mellow Men' of the famous 'Den.' From student-athletes engaged in activism to playing in the NFL and subsequent philanthropic work, the former occupants of the 'Den' have left an enduring legacy for more than half a century."
NOW, THEREFORE,
3. Michigan 7 Historic Mellow Men Marker bottom left image
Christopher Taylor
Mayor of the City of Ann Abor
Erected 2026 by Michigan Athletics.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is February 2, 1978.
Location. 42° 16.654′ N, 83° 43.884′ W. Marker is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in Washtenaw County. It is in Angell. It is on Geddes Avenue west of Observatory Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1345 Geddes Ave, Ann Arbor MI 48104, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan and in Greater Detroit. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest
Photographed by Joel Seewald, October 11, 2026
4. Michigan 7 Historic Mellow Men Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Washtenaw County War Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Forest Hill (about 300 feet away); Revolutionary War Patriot (about 300 feet away); Campus Patterns of Residential Life (approx. 0.2 miles away); Phi Delta Theta Fraternity House (approx. 0.2 miles away); South University and Forest Avenues (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Medical Buildings (approx. Ό mile away); Michigan Summer Symposium in Theoretical Physics (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ann Arbor.
Also see . . . The Historic 7 Mellow Men. Website devoted to what "is widely recognized as the greatest class of student-athletes in the ... history of the winningest college football program in NCAA history". (Submitted on October 12, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photographed by Joel Seewald, October 11, 2026
5. Michigan 7 Historic Mellow Men Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 12, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 12, 2026, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
