76 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2019 

sports HIGHlights

Nate Emery of Farmington Hills, one of 
the top rock climbers in his age group in 
the country, grew his hair out for three 
years so he could make a donation to 

Children With Hair Loss.
The not-for-profit organization based 
in South Rockwood provides human hair 
replacement at no cost for children and 
young adults who have lost their hair 
because of an illness.
Nate donated 13 inches of his locks 
July 20.
The 10-year-old Hillside Elementary 
School fifth-grader was invited to walk 
the runway to show off his new hairstyle Nov. 2 at Laurel Manor in Livonia 
in the 15th annual Charity Ball presented by Children With Hair Loss.
Children who have received hair also model their new hairdos at the 
Charity Ball.

Merrick Michaelson of Frankel 
Jewish Academy took second place 
among 93 runners Sept. 10 in the 
first Catholic League Division 3-4 
cross country jamboree of the season.
Michaelson completed the course 
at Young Patriots Park in Riverview in 
18:41.9.
Rounding out the Jaguars’
 top 
five runners were Jonah Feldman 
(46th; 23:12.2), Aidan Keenan (48th; 
23:17.2), Henry Tukel (71st; 26:53.6) 
and Andrew Tukel (92nd; 34:40.9).
FJA placed eighth among 11 teams 
in the team standings.
In another FJA note, the boys 
tennis team was ranked No. 5 in 
Division 4 in a recent Michigan High 
School Tennis Coaches Association 
poll.

Oh, Brothers

Siblings are on University of Michigan 
football, cheerleading teams.

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMII STOLOFF PHOTOGRAPHY
O

ne is a football player. 
One is a cheerleader.
One is reserved. One 
is outgoing.
They’
re brothers. And they’
re 
on the field in front of more 
than 100,000 screaming fans 
at Michigan Stadium in Ann 
Arbor every time the University 
of Michigan football team has a 
home game.
Louis Grodman, 22, is a 
fifth-year senior defensive back 
and special teams player for the 
U-M football team. His brother 
Nathan Grodman,19, a junior, 
is in his third year on the U-M 
cheerleading squad.
Each brother earned a spot on 
his team the hard way, through 
a tryout.
“I’
m beyond proud of what 
my brother has accomplished,” 
Nathan said. “He’
s my biggest 
role model. He works so hard.”
“I really appreciate how 

Nathan has supported me,” 
Louis said.
While their focus is on foot-
ball and cheerleading during 
games, the brothers do get a 
special moment when the foot-
ball team heads into the locker 
room for the final time before 
the kickoff through a tunnel of 
cheerleaders.
“We do a fist bump or high 
five,” Louis said.
“It’
s a surreal feeling knowing 
my brother is out there playing 
for the football team,” Nathan 
said. “To be honest, that’
s my 
favorite part of the game. Having 
him there makes it personal.”
The brothers’
 parents are 
Robert and Lisa Grodman of 
Commerce Township.
“It’
s very exciting for us to see 
Nathan cheering for Louis,” Lisa 
said. “It’
s a challenge to watch 
them simultaneously, but we love 
every minute of it.

“We’
re immensely proud of 
them. They work hard doing 
what they enjoy and they get 
excellent grades in their classes. 
That shows their dedication and 
perseverance.”
Each brother wants to go to 
medical school.
Louis, who will graduate from 
U-M in December, is thinking 
about becoming an orthopedic 
surgeon. Nathan is focusing on 
becoming a pediatric oncologist.
Now, about those different 
personalities.

“Nathan is more of a free spirit 
than I am,” Louis said. “He’
s 
always happy and he makes the 
people around him happy, too.”
“Once Louis gets to know 
you, he’
s more talkative,” Nathan 
said. “With me, even if I don’
t 
know you, I’
ll talk your head 
off.”
The brothers had no plans to 
play football or cheer at U-M 
after they graduated from Walled 
Lake Northern High School.
“I wasn’
t going to play football 
in college,” Louis said. “But I 

Nathan Grodman and Louis Grodman

quick hits
BY STEVE STEIN 

continued on page 78