Cooking up greatness

“He’s quite the chef,” said Long’s roommate, redshirt junior offensive lineman Adam Kraus. “He loves to get on his grill and get working. He’s a good cook . He loves to cook his meat and potatoes, big Michigan boy, he’s always on the grill with his chicken or steak or pork chops.”

When he fires up his grill, Long has all the ingredients necessary for a great meal. And when he puts on his pads, Long features everything it takes to be Michigan’s next great offensive lineman. The menu includes:

Physical ability – size, speed, agility; you name it, Long has it.

Heart – after sustaining a serious leg injury in 2005, Long gritted his teeth, rehabbed in record time and played in pain.

Leadership – Thanks to his jovial but intense personality, Long’s teammates elected him captain for the 2006 season.

Long brings plenty to the table, but Wolverine fans have yet to see just how good he can be. One game into the 2006 season, this much is clear: Long has the goods to deliver a hefty serving of whoop-ass to opposing defenses this season.

The specimen

In the minds of casual football fans, offensive linemen are those nameless fat guys who push people around while the stars do the glamorous work. So why, then, would Michigan coach Lloyd Carr demand that his offensive linemen lose weight?

Turns out that even though bigger is sometimes better, a lineman carrying extra flab can break down late in games. It was a lesson the Wolverines learned the hard way during their disappointing 7-5 2005 campaign.

“Losing weight does a lot,” Long said. “Last year our whole thing was to finish a game. You know, we couldn’t finish a game. And fatigue could have been a part of that. And we just wanted to come back this summer, lose weight, get stronger, get quicker and become a better offensive line, and get our conditioning up to finish games.”

Along with his teammates, Long worked with Michigan’s strength and conditioning staff in the off-season to achieve his personal weight-loss goal of about 20 pounds. For a big boy like Long, the commitment to drop pounds naturally came with a few sacrifices. Long limited his intake of fatty foods, including his favorite fast food meal, No. 6 at Taco Bell.

“It was really hard at first because you’re used to the foods you’re eating,” Long said. “But after a week or so it got easier, and now eating good food is a better lifestyle. I’m glad I did it, and I’m glad I lost the weight.”

The difference is striking. Minus the Chalupas, Long’s baby fat has melted away, replaced by new sheaths of muscle. After shedding 20 pounds and working out ferociously all summer, Long is about as cut as a 313-pound man can be. His massive tattoo-laden biceps peer menacingly from under his shoulder pads, and his frame rests comfortably on tree-trunk legs well suited to drive defenders into oblivion.

Fresh off his weight-loss and workout regimen, Long shows off an imposing figure. His natural physical ability is just as intimidating. He was a three-sport athlete at Lapeer East High School, where as a first baseman he set home-run and RBI records and the school’s all-time mark for field-goal percentage in basketball. On the football field, he was much more than a grunt offensive tackle. In three years playing varsity football, he notched 281 tackles and 11 sacks playing on the defensive line, and picked up four touchdowns playing fullback during goal-line situations. But even though he occasionally made his way into the end zone, Long knew his future wouldn’t be in the backfield.

“I wasn’t a very good running back,” Long said. “I didn’t do very well at it. So that was a short-lived career.”

Even if Long never touches the football again, his speed and athleticism can still be difference-makers at the tackle position. Linemen aren’t stationary; lateral and forward movement are both extremely important aspects of what they do. And Long can cover plenty of ground.

“For him to be one of our heaviest offensive lineman, he runs like a deer,” fifth-year senior offensive lineman Rueben Riley said. “It’s unbelievable how great he runs long distance.”

Senior defensive end and fellow Michigan captain LaMarr Woodley boasts a similar combination of size, strength and speed. When the two athletes match up in practice, fireworks are inevitable. Despite their trash-talking, Woodley has nothing but respect for his counterpart. Going up against Long, Woodley knows that the offensive lineman is a special talent.

“Whenever you go against Jake, it’s going to be the best battle because he’s the best offensive tackle, to me,” Woodley said. “It’s gonna be that best look, it’s gonna be that game look, Jake’s never gonna let up on you. So it’s either you’re gonna get pancaked by Jake, or you’re gonna win the battle. That’s the only two choices you got.”

Recovery

As strong as he is now, a year ago Long was in a world of hurt. During the 2005 summer training camp, former Wolverine defensive tackle Gabe Watson and center Mark Bihl – all 634 pounds of them – fell on Long’s lower left leg, seriously injuring it. Before his 2005 season got off the ground, Long went under the knife.

“When I look back at Jake’s injury a year ago during training camp, we really thought that he would not be able to come back before a bowl game,” Carr said.

A return to action during his redshirt sophomore season appeared unlikely, but Long was determined to come back and make an impact. He fought through an exhaustive training and rehabilitation program in an effort to strengthen his leg enough to play.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines were struggling in a way Long hadn’t seen during his three years on the team. Once ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation, the 2005 Michigan squad crashed down to earth with three losses in its first six games.

Michigan’s injury-plagued offensive line was partially at fault. With the big guys up front failing to dominate the trenches, the Wolverines’ running game sputtered, and quarterback Chad Henne made too many throws with defenders in his face. For a competitor like Long, watching his team and his unit struggle was extremely frustrating. But it also served as motivation to hasten his recovery.

“It was very tough,” Long said. “Because there was nothing I could do to help the offensive line besides talk to ’em, and I couldn’t be out there throughout the grind, through the losses trying to help. . But that definitely pushed me harder to get my rehab done and try to come back.”

Finally, on Oct. 22, 2005 in Iowa City, Long was ready to make his return. He wasn’t fully recovered, but he immediately made his presence felt, helping the Wolverines put together a 68-yard touchdown drive during his first series on the field. Eventually, the tightly contested game went into overtime, and the Hawkeyes struck first, connecting on a field goal. Michigan responded, marching the ball Iowa’s one-yard line. With inches standing between the Wolverines and victory, Carr called on Long to usher reserve tailback Jerome Jackson into the end zone. One yard later, Michigan celebrated a 23-20 win.

Long’s performance was even more impressive considering the condition he was in at the time.

“Definitely the first couple games it wasn’t 100-percent,” Long said. “It was really weak, painful. But you know during games you just kind of shut that out of your mind and just play through it.”

Long fought his way through the pain and started every game for the rest of the season. By willing his way back onto the field and helping Michigan through the latter part of a tumultuous 2005 campaign, Long earned plenty of respect from the Michigan football family.

“He spent an exorbitant amount of time in that training room, getting treatment on a daily basis,” Carr said. “And he came back much sooner than we expected, because he had a will and a desire and a determination to play.”

Captain

Long’s vigorous rehab and recovery bolstered his leadership credentials and likely contributed to the lifelong Michigan fan’s election as team captain. But Long is not simply the strong, silent type who leads by example and lets his actions speak for themselves.

For one, Long brings his goofy sense of humor to the often all-too-serious world of college football.

Riley smiled as he recounted his linemate’s antics at the first meeting of summer training camp.

“Everybody’s pretty amped when Coach Carr comes in, and we do various things to show our intensity,” Riley said. “Big man decided to take his shirt off and wave it in the air. Not a good sight for us considering we’re men – but maybe some young ladies somewhere liked it.”

Although Long’s sense of humor helps keep his teammates loose, the true test of his leadership comes when it’s time to hit. That’s when the usually fun-loving Long shuts off the smile and shows off the scowl. It’s a seamless transition Long’s co-captain – and frequent recipient of Long’s playful trash-talking barbs – knows all too well.

“You know when camp comes around that you’ve got to deal with big Jake, you know he’s going to be coming at you,” Woodley said. “Because you know even though we joke around, he’s still going to back those words up. Because he knows I’m going to try to back mine up. At the end of the day at practice, either he’s going to get talked about by me, or I’m going to get talked about by him.”

Putting it together
Moving from right to left tackle, Long is now responsible for protecting Henne’s blindside – an especially important task given Michigan’s precarious back-up quarterback situation. Even for such a big man, the transition is a tall order. But Long welcomes the challenge.

“(Left tackle is) a tough spot,” Long said. “And a lot of responsibility comes on that side. And I’m really excited to try to live up to that expectation.”

Heavily recruited out of high school and long pegged as a potential NFL prospect, Long is accustomed to high expectations. But this year, the hype surrounding the 2004 freshman All-American has reached a whole new level. Long is widely considered one of the premiere offensive linemen in the nation, evidenced by his placement on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, awarded annually to the top interior lineman in college football.

Despite all the talk and preseason accolades, most of Long’s book has yet to be written. Sure, he opened plenty of eyes while earning a starting job as a redshirt freshman. Sure, he managed to contribute during his redshirt sophomore season while playing on a severely injured left leg. But no one knows exactly what Long can do.

According to his coach, the sky’s the limit.

“He’s an enormously talented guy with a love for the game and the competition,” Carr said. “He has wonderful ability – he has the chance to be one of the great players we’ve had here.”

All the ingredients for greatness are on the table. A massive serving of size. An equally huge portion of willpower. A heaping tablespoon of character. And now, after a rocky 2005 season, a healthy, experienced Chef Jake appears ready to use these items to their fullest potential by dicing, grilling and devouring opposing defenders – his weight-loss pledge notwithstanding.