Mark Snyder

Detroit Free Press

The focus for most of the Michigan football team next week is on experiencing Rome, Italy.

The Wolverines will spend nine days there seeing the famous sights, while also holding three spring practices.

About 20 to 25 players are looking past that, though, as they’ll study abroad for a few weeks following the trip. The chance for the players to branch out following the trip was U-M coach Jim Harbaugh’s stated emphasis, giving them an opportunity they might have never considered.

Each player made a different choice for an individual reason. Some were spurred by curiosity, academics, or a world interest.

And some had no preference on where they would land.

The players will study in six different countries: Austria, Costa Rica, Argentina, Iceland, Belgium and Spain.

Offensive guard Ben Bredeson will join “six or seven” teammates for three weeks in Barcelona.

“When I heard about the opportunity, I jumped right on it,” Bredeson said.

Bredeson closed the winter semester Tuesday with a final exam, completing a class about the role sports plays beyond the field.

“You learn how sports affects different social institutions and structures and how people react to it,” he said. “I thought it was really interesting.”

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That moved him to sign up for “Sports and Society in Barcelona,” where he’ll spend a few hours each day in class and free time exploring the city and country.

On his list: see an FC Barcelona soccer game.

Soccer was enough to persuade cornerback Keith Washington.

After the Italy trip, he’ll return to Michigan with the team for a day before heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina, because he’s a “big soccer fan.”

He played when he was young and he has tracked the success on Lionel Messi and other stars around the world.

“Seeing the fans and how passionate they are for their sport, why not go to an area that’s focused on soccer?” he said.

Last summer, he attended the International Champions Cup match at Michigan Stadium.

“I wanted to try something new, a new experience for me,” said Washington, who will study sports and culture.

Much like his decision to come to Michigan from Prattville, Ala., Washington is stepping out of his comfort zone with his trip to Argentina. He is not going with any teammates and will instead join a group of U-M students he met last week.

“I wanted to take the opportunity,” he said. “I figured I wouldn’t do it any other time in my life, so take it?”

He knows it will involve a lot of flying, but the opportunity to separate his mind from spring practice will be a welcomed break.

For quarterback/holder Garrett Moores, the decision is about life after football.

He chose Brussels, Belgium, and will go through a program with no classes, simply attending meetings of the European Union “security council, human rights watch, Russia ambassador.” As far as he understands, it'll be low tech, with pencil and paper and no cell phones.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Moores, who will be there two weeks, concluding with a research paper.

Watching the EU's inner workings is an extension of his political science degree, seeing the a foreign cosmopolitan city up close.

“We have a day trip to Paris and Amsterdam,” he said. “From what I’ve heard just being in Brussels, just the cultural experience will be so much different than the United States, I’m looking forward to it.”

Wilton Speight’s motivation was more open-ended. The Michigan quarterback just wanted to go somewhere, so he asked the U-M staffer who probably has seen more than anyone else.

“David Turnley, our team photographer has been everywhere in the world and I just said I want to learn the most about everything,” said Speight, who will travel with current players, former players and he’ll see his brother from Virginia Tech who is abroad. “I’m a Christian and Armenia was the first Christian country in the world and he’s been there a few times. So he said you can’t not hit that while you’re over there. That’s why I’m going.”

Harbaugh’s push got Speight going on the journey to Brussels and Armenia.

“Coach told me this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, go make the most of it,” he said.

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Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark__snyder.

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