Did Michigan’s Connor Stalions admit to sign stealing?
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (BVM) – Connor Stalions has addressed the allegations surrounding the Michigan Wolverines sign-stealing scandal in a rare interview for Netflix’s “Untold: Sign Stealer” (released Aug. 27).
Editor’s note: NCAA rules do not ban stealing signs in-game or studying videos of past games – a role Stalions had on Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines staff. However, the NCAA bans in-person advanced scouting of future opponents and videotaping opponents’ sideline activities – which Stalions is being accused of and confronted with in the new Netflix documentary.
Was Connor Stalions stealing signs at the CMU vs. MSU game?
The 2023 Central Michigan vs. Michigan State game played a pivotal role in Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal. The infamous photo allegedly shows Connor Stalions on the sidelines, which violated the NCAA’s advanced scouting rule.
NEW: @TheAthletic has obtained more photos of the goatee'd sunglasses person on the Central Michigan sideline at Michigan State.
CMU is looking into whether this is Connor Stalions.
Story: https://t.co/79siEcZ89r pic.twitter.com/R5AyslTIWF
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 31, 2023
Stalions, when asked by NCAA investigators if he attended the CMU vs. MSU game in 2023, replied, “I don’t recall attending a specific game.”
When confronted about the situation a second time in “Untold: Sign Stealer,” Stalions smirked and stated, “I mean, I don’t even think this guy looks like me.”
Interestingly, Stalions twice avoided saying a concrete phrase such as, “That person is not me.”
How did Connor Stalions obtain signs?
Stalions has never admitted to wrongfully stealing signs. Instead, he says his work ethic and strategic decision-making skills have made him exceptionally good at “signal-deciphering.”
“First of all, I’ve never advanced scouted,” Stalions said on “Untold: Sign Stealer.”
“… I obtain signals the same way every other team does – through watching TV copies and talking to other intel guys on other teams. What sets me apart was the way in which I organized that information and processed it on game day.”
Stalions claims he became highly skilled at deciphering signals after taking the full-time position with the Wolverines in 2021.
“The first thing (I did) that made me good at deciphering signals was my game-day sheet,” Stalions told “Untold: Sign Stealer.” … “I recorded myself doing probably 2,000-3,000 signals. When I was done, I uploaded each photo into my sheet where it belonged. I developed my own database, which is the next evolution of my gameday sheet. Instead of memorizing words, I was memorizing pictures.
“I would say that is the No. 1 reason why I became as good as I did at deciphering signals.”
From there, the documentary portrays that – basically overnight – Michigan started its most successful three-year run in history (three wins over Ohio State and a national championship).
“I realized pretty quickly how simple it is to just know which signaler is the live signaler,” Stalions said in “Untold: Sign Stealer.” “You can just look at the players looking at him when they look away. Then you start writing down just what he does, and if you run a play twice, then, well, I’m going to know it the second time. By the third possession of the game, I’m yelling out, ‘Power right, power right.’”
Did Connor Stalions have people steal signs for him?
In the Netflix documentary, Stalions admits that he used to buy college football tickets (aside from Michigan games) for families and friends. However, he says his intent was simply to make a profit.
“I guess the accusation is that my mom (who I bought tickets for) helped me advance scout Purdue?” Stalions said with a smirk on “Untold: Sign Stealer.”
However, the documentary points to the position of the seats (often at the 50-yard line) – painting a picture that it seems very unlikely that Stalions was simply in it for the quick cash.
“I don’t ever recall directing someone to go to a game (to advance scout),” Stalions told NCAA investigators. “… To my knowledge, there are some people who attended games (that Michigan was not competing in) that used tickets that I purchased and recorded parts of those games.
“Sometimes I’d receive film from them,” Stalions continued as he spoke to NCAA investigators. But to that point, Stalions further reveals in “Untold: Sign Stealer” that the game footage he received was unsolicited. He states, “I already have the signals,” implying that he made no use of the film sent to him.
Overall, this alleged sign-stealing scheme remains under investigation. But Stalions doesn’t appear fearful of the outcome, considering he has no regrets.
“I don’t regret a thing… and I would do the same thing over again,” Stalions said to wrap up his interview for “Untold: Sign Stealer.”
