When senior cornerback Troy Woolfolk went down with a season-ending injury in August, it looked as though the Wolverines had lost all of their veteran presence in the defensive backfield.

But there was one senior cornerback — although he hadn’t been a cornerback for very long — who kept coming up on the coaches’ radar.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez knew that veteran leadership on defense could make or break the Wolverines in a number of games this season. So he called on senior James Rogers, whose only starts to date had come at wide receiver.

Many Michigan fans showed their concern, but Rogers saw it as an opportunity.

“I feel like I have nothing to lose,” Rogers said on Monday. “I’ve been from corner to receiver a few times, so every week I go out and try to have fun and play with enthusiasm.”

That strategy seems to have worked for the not-so-experienced, yet most veteran, member of the secondary.

Head-to-head with All-American-caliber wide receiver Michael Floyd last week against the Irish, Rogers kept Floyd in relative check for much of the game, using his size and the things he learned about Floyd on film to shut down the big-time wideout.

Rogers saw in film study the week before that Floyd would stick his counterpart going inside and then dart outside to finish many of his athletic routes with a reception. But before the Wolverines’ victory, Rogers had Floyd and his moves figured out.

At least enough to hold him to five catches for 66 yards.

Rodriguez said Rogers’s performance on the gridiron has been “solid” in his two starts at corner, but his biggest contribution may be in filling Woolfolk’s spot as the group’s de facto veteran teacher.

“When Troy went down, James took control of that position,” Rodriguez said. “He’s the old man of the group, surrounded by a bunch of young guys and his veteran leadership has really been invaluable for us.”

And Rogers has taken that role, as teacher, in stride, as several members of the secondary have pointed to his help as a huge part of their success.

After all, with Woolfolk out for the year and the team expected to struggle in the defensive backfield, Rogers’ “nothing to lose” attitude seemed to ring true for the entire secondary.

“We’re young, so the only thing that came in our mind is that we have to go out and have fun and play with it,” Rogers said. “There’s always been that weight on our shoulders from the defensive backfield anyway. When Troy went down, I knew me as a senior, I had to step up in my leadership and make sure that these young players are ready to play."

The Wolverines gave up the second-most yards in a win in school history against Notre Dame last Saturday, including two huge plays on offense that got behind the secondary.

But despite the secondary’s poor play at times, Rogers knows a win is a win, especially for a group that was expected to struggle this season.

“I think we just go out there and play relentless,” Rogers said. “If something bad happens, you just have to keep going out to play.”