The 1956 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1956 Big Ten Conference football season. In their ninth year under head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan, the Wolverines compiled a 7-2 record (5-2 Big Ten), outscored opponents 233 to 123, and finished the season in second place in the Big Ten Conference and ranked #7 in the final 1956 AP poll. The team played five of its nine games against ranked opponents, losing to #2 Michigan State by a 9-0 score and #15 Minnesota by a 20-7 score, but defeating #15 Army by a 48-14 score, #7 Iowa by a 17-14 score, and #12 Ohio State by a 19-0 score.
End Ron Kramer was selected as a consensus All-American and a first team All-Big Ten player. Guard Dick Hill was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player and was named by the Associated Press (AP) as a first-team All-Big Ten player. Halfback Terry Barr averaged 6.1 yards per carry rushing and 19.7 yards per punt return and was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player by the United Press (UP).
On September 29, 1956, Michigan opened its season with a 42–13 victory over UCLA. The Bruins were ranked #4 in the final AP Poll in 1955, but lost a number of players due to sanctions imposed by the Pacific Coast Conference. Michigan rushed for 234 yards against UCLA, including 67 yards by junior halfback Jim Pace. In the air, Michigan completed four of nine passes for 103 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass from Bob Ptacek to Jim Van Pelt and a 70-yard touchdown pass from Terry Barr to Ron Kramer. Barr also set up a touchdown with a 51-yard punt return to the UCLA 15-yard line in the first quarter. Halfback John Herrnstein scored two touchdowns for Michigan on runs of six and four yards. Ed Shannon and Jim Dickey also scored touchdowns for Michigan. Kramer and Maddock each kicked three extra points for Michigan.
The following players won varsity letters for their participation on the 1956 Michigan football team. Players who started at least half of Michigan's games are shown in bold.
Terry Barr, halfback, senior, Grand Rapids, Michigan - started 7 games at right halfback
Thomas E. Berger, guard, junior, Detroit, Michigan
Alex Bochnowski, guard, junior, Munster, Indiana
David C. Bowers, end, junior, Traverse City, Michigan
Charles Books, end, senior, Marshall, Michigan
James Byers, fullback, sophomore, Evansville, Indiana
Clement Corona, guard, senior, Berwick, Pennsylvania
James H. Davies, tackle, senior, Muskegon Heights, Michigan
James A. Dickey, fullback, junior, Miamisburg, Ohio
Lawrence Faul, guard, junior, River Forest, Illinois
John Greenwood, halfback, senior, Bay City, Michigan
John Herrnstein, fullback, sophomore, Chillicothe, Ohio - started 9 games at fullback
Richard B. Heynen, tackle, senior, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Dick Hill, guard, sophomore, Gary, Indiana - started 9 games at left guard
Walter N. Johnson, end, sophomore, Dearborn, Michigan
Ron Kramer, end, senior, East Detroit, Michigan - started 9 games at left end
Jack Lousma, quarterback, sophomore, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Jim Maddock, quarterback, senior, Chicago, Illinois
Tom Maentz, end, senior, Holland, Michigan - started 9 games at right end
Jerry Marciniak, fullback, sophomore, Chicago, Illinois
Marvin R. Nyren, guard, junior, Des Plaines, Illinois - started 9 games at right guard
James B. Orwig, tackle, senior, Toledo, Ohio - started 9 games at left tackle
Jim Pace, halfback, junior, Little Rock, Arkansas - started 7 games at left halfback
Gary Prahst, end, sophomore, Berea, Ohio
Bob Ptacek, halfback, sophomore, Cleveland, Ohio - started 2 games at left halfback
David F. Rentschler, halfback, junior, Detroit, Michigan
Mike Rotunno, center, senior, Canton, Ohio - started 8 games at center
Edward J. Shannon, running back, senior, River Forest, Illinois - started 2 games at right halfback
Michael Shatusky, halfback, senior, Menominee, Michigan
Lionel Albert Sigman, tackle, senior, Ann Arbor, Michigan - started 9 games at right tackle
Eugene Sisinyak, fullback, sophomore, Monroe, Michigan
Willie Smith, tackle, sophomore, Little Rock, Arkansas - tackle
Eugene "Gene" Snider, center, junior, Hamtramck, Michigan - started 1 game at center
John Spidel, quarterback, sophomore, Greenville, Ohio
Jim Van Pelt, quarterback, junior, Evanston, Illinois - started 9 games at quarterback
Raymond L. Wine, center, sophomore, Port Huron, Michigan
Awards and honors
Captain: Tom Maentz
All-Americans: Ron Kramer
All-Conference: Ron Kramer, Dick Hill, Terry Barr
Most Valuable Player: Dick Hill
Meyer Morton Award: John Herrnstein
John Maulbetsch Award: John Herrnstein
Head coach: Bennie Oosterbaan
Assistant coaches:
Backfield: Don Robinson
Line: Jack Blott, assisted by Don Dufek
Ends: Matt Patanelli
Freshmen: Wally Weber
Scout: Pete Kinyon
Others: Bob Hollway, Cliff Keen
Trainer: Jim Hunt
Manager: Dave Lundquist
