[1] In a poll of 14 experts produced by the Detroit Free Press, Powers was the all-Midwest (Big Ten States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin because Penn State had not yet joined the conference) Offensive player of the year in a first-team backfield with Jerome Bettis and Chris Weinke.

[19] Powers, who wore #12 for the Michigan Wolverines football program from 1990 to 1993,[20] shared the tailback position with Jon Vaughn as a freshman and Tyrone Wheatley as a junior and senior.

[22][23] The next year, as a sophomore, he started eleven of twelve games and was named to the All-Big Ten Conference team.

[24] Although as a sophomore in 1991 he led the team in rushing with 1251 yards, he shared the spotlight with Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard.

That 1991 team would again win the Big Ten Conference Championship,[25] and it would produce eighteen National Football League draftees between 1992 and 1995.

[28] In the NFL, Powers, who measured 6 feet (1.83 m) and 213 pounds (96.6 kg), was signed as a free agent in 1994 by the Detroit Lions, but he was waived before the season started.

He remained on the practice squad until being promoted to the regular roster for the final three games of the 1995 National Football League season.

When the Browns relocated following the 1995 season to become the Baltimore Ravens, and Ted Marchibroda replaced Bill Belichick as coach, Powers got lost in the shuffle.

At Buchtel, he inherits a football team that has a tradition of producing major college scholarship athletes and a few professional ones.

Recent Buchtel Griffins who have become professional athletes include Antonio Pittman, Charlton Keith, and Ramon Walker.