As Senior Editor of The Wolverine Magazine , John Borton Covers All Things Michigan
Alumni Feature
FRONT ROW SEAT
As Senior Editor of The Wolverine Magazine , John Borton Covers All Things Michigan
If you are a serious fan of the University of Michigan athletics , you probably have heard of John Borton ’ 81 .
As senior editor of The Wolverine Magazine , a multimedia publication that covers the University of Michigan athletic program , the Siena Heights graduate has had a front row seat reporting all things Michigan for the past 25 years . From the Bo Schembechler era of Wolverine football to the present-day College World Series appearance by the softball team , Borton has seen — and reported — on it all .
Anyone familiar with Michigan athletics knows some of their most well-known figures . Names like Schembechler , Tom Brady , Charles Woodson , Chris Webber , Michael Phelps and Jim Harbaugh are all people Borton has gotten to know professionally , some even personally . But he said some of his most memorable interviews are also from some lesser-known sources .
One of those is former UM wide receiver Jason Avant , who Borton called one of his favorites . A drug dealer in the seventh grade while living in the Chicago area , Avant turned his life around and became a leader both on the field and off .
“ He was a powerful man of faith and witness to his teammates ,” said Borton of Avant , who went on to play in the NFL . “ Those stories are just incredible to be able to tell . It ’ s been great to be able to tell different stories in different ways that go far beyond a football game or a basketball game .”
Borton , who turned an English degree and a newspaper internship into a career in sports journalism , credits Siena Heights for sparking his career path . As the editor of the Spectra student newspaper while in college , he was able to secure an internship writing locally for the Adrian Daily Telegram .
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