Stories by Zach Helfand
Spring Game 2013
Two players, one freakish, one undersized, become Michigan's new playmakers
- Adam Glanzman/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
One is a freak, the other a runt. Junior Frank Clark is a 274-pound behemoth at defensive end. Fifth-year senior Jeremy Gallon is a 5-foot-8 speedster at receiver.
Students of the Year: Denard Robinson
- Photo Illustration: Erin Kirkland/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
Denard Robinson was on the phone. He was on his way to a workout with the Washington Redskins. The LSA senior wanted to talk about a graduation bucket list.
Notebook: Even if Mitch McGary isn’t available, defensive line depth is nearing Mattison’s vision
- Adam Glanzman/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
So yes, Mattison was joking, or at least dreaming, but adding McGary would fit with Mattison’s theory of the more defensive lineman, the better. In the third spring under the current coaching staff, the Michigan front is getting closer to Mattison’s goal of having a full rotation of players on the defensive line.
Football
Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan out indefinitely with torn ACL
- Adam Glanzman/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
Redshirt junior linebacker Jake Ryan sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in practice Tuesday, the Michigan football team announced Wednesday. Ryan is out indefinitely, and based on standard recovery times for the injury, it is likely he will miss part, if not all, of the 2013 season.
Notebook: Devin Gardner, a “professional trash talker,” motivates by getting in teammates’ heads
- Erin Kirkland/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
Hoke says that one the field, Gardner is more confident in the pocket, that he sees the field more quickly. But Gardner’s biggest change this offseason might be his maturity. Gardner watches film on NFL quarterbacks like Colin Kaepernick to improve his play, but he also studies Tom Brady, Russell Wilson and Peyton Manning to learn how to lead.
Football
Mattison signs three-year contract extension through 2016
- Marissa McClain/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
The Michigan Athletic Department announced Friday that Greg Mattison, the defensive coordinator, has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him in Ann Arbor through the 2016 season. Mattison was the architect of a defense that improved to sixth, from 107th, in scoring defense in his first year with the Wolverines in 2011.
For Robinson and Kovacs, a final steak dinner before an uncertain future
- Terra Molengraff/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
Kovacs, the underdog again, must prove that he has the athleticism and ability to play at the next level. For Robinson, the question isn’t about talent, it’s about how he can use it, and at what position.
Robinson outruns Swope, ballot stuffers to win spot on NCAA '14 cover
- Adam Glanzman/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
EA Sports announced Tuesday that the former Michigan quarterback won its fan vote to determine who will grace the cover of the NCAA Football ’14 video game next fall. Robinson defeated Swope in a close and surprisingly eventful online vote that would make the state of Florida proud.
Trey Burke wins Michigan's first Big Ten Player of the Year Award in 24 years
- Todd Needle/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
For the first time in 24 years, the Big Ten Player of the Year is a Michigan Wolverine. On Monday, sophomore guard Trey Burke was awarded the honor by both the Big Ten coaches and media, becoming the first Michigan Player of the Year since Glen Rice in 1989.
Policy shift leaves students frustrated over Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament tickets
- Erin Kirkland/Daily
BY ZACH HELFAND
In a policy shift, the Michigan Athletic Department this season distributed student tickets to the tournament based on loyalty to the program, measured by game attendance and usage of the department’s H.A.I.L. mobile application. The department, which has already distributed its allotment, will still pay for many of those tickets, as it has in the past.
