December 4th, 2012 at 4:59 AM ^
Denard Robinson, who was looking to become the first 3 time winner. good for Kovacs!
December 3rd, 2012 at 11:44 PM ^
Title doesn't have a source in it. So here's one:
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120312aae.html
Kovac's is the man.
December 3rd, 2012 at 11:52 PM ^
you, just for your avatar but this is good news too.
Congrats Kovacs!
December 3rd, 2012 at 11:54 PM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 12:12 AM ^
I know he plays with a lot of heart and intelligence and is a great tackler, but isn't this kind of a stretch to say he was the most valuable player over guys like Jake Ryan and Denard (who was our offense the first few games and broke off big runs when he was injured)?
December 4th, 2012 at 12:18 AM ^
The thing about the safety position is that if you do your job right, you won't have big numbers. It's also important to remember that his leadership on the field is probably a big reason why he won, and there is no statistical category for leadership.
December 4th, 2012 at 11:15 AM ^
Kids don't remember the Yards After Mundy charts.
December 4th, 2012 at 5:05 AM ^
voted for this award, right? How can you complain he won it, when his teammates and peers picked him. It shows how valuable his teammates think he is, that he was voted over Denard.
December 4th, 2012 at 8:17 AM ^
Denard missed about 1/3 of the season - 3 full games and the second halves of Nebraska and Ohio State.
You could make a case for Jake Ryan, but there's probably some level of seniority going into these awards. Given the choice of two equally viable candidates, kids are probably going to go with the older guy, the one who's been a four-year starter and a presence on the field ever since most of these kids joined the team.
December 4th, 2012 at 8:51 AM ^
After all, how in hell would the team be able to judge the individual most deserving of an award?
December 4th, 2012 at 10:25 AM ^
Damn kids.
#getoffmylawn
December 4th, 2012 at 9:18 AM ^
I don't think it's a stretch at all. He is the stabilizing force on the defense and our most reliable tackler. How many big plays were prevented that never show up in the stats?
December 4th, 2012 at 10:55 AM ^
while I check MGoBlue for that...
December 4th, 2012 at 12:28 AM ^
Deserves to go out on a high note.
December 4th, 2012 at 12:28 AM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 12:37 AM ^
This kid has been invaluable over the last few years. So glad that he comes away with this recognition.
One thing that I think has been understated so far is how much senior leadership the team is losing after this year. Kovacs, Denard, and Lewan (assuming he is gone) all fit very naturally into that role. As an outside observer, I don't see many of the current juniors/sophomores filling that void. Jake Ryan might be an obvious choice, but this team is going to need others to step up like Big Will did this year.
December 4th, 2012 at 12:53 AM ^
but for anyone who didn't see it, Kovacs should be looking for some type of comedy award for his efforts tonight.
@AceAnbender Jordan Kovacs thanks Rich Rodriguez for letting a slow, unathletic, and undersized kid play for Michigan… Drew Dileo.
December 4th, 2012 at 1:06 AM ^
Rookie mistake. I wanted to say your post was extremely funny, not moderately funny. OOPS. No idea what I just did.
December 4th, 2012 at 8:32 AM ^
You "moderated" his comment as "funny". That's a good thing.
December 4th, 2012 at 11:49 AM ^
I'd first like to thank (Rich) Rodriguez for allowing a slow, unathletic and undersized kid a chance to play football at the University of Michigan. That was really nice of him to allow Drew Dileo to play football here.
And the line I thought was at least as good-
I'd like to thank you guys and the rest of the fans as I developed from a young, slow, physically insufficient football player to an old, slow, physically insufficient football player.
Lots of more good stuff here-
http://annarbor.com/mi/wolverines/2012/12/michigan_bust_speeches_jordan…
Some serious and hartwarming. Kovacs says Michigan has the best coaching staff, in America, lots of Denard's content, and quotes from other players (including Roundtree who starts off that speech thanking "Coach Rod" for having an opportunity to come to the best university in the whole country).
Isn't there usually someone from MGoBlog covering it? We haven't even gotten Hoke's presser from yesterday yet, have we? I'd make these threads but I keep thinking it'll be redundant soon.
December 4th, 2012 at 12:01 PM ^
Like I said in the deleted thread, I assumed it was funnier than out of context 140 characters allowed it to be on Twitter, and that definitely was.
As far as coverage went, Heiko was there, and it looks like Ace was as well, but I'm not 100% on that.
December 4th, 2012 at 3:42 AM ^
I love Denard, but Kovacs deserved this award this year. He did a lot in the secondary aside from just covering and tackling, he made sure our guys were lined up in the correct defense and he was always calling out and communicating to the other DB's. I worry more about losing that aspect of his game. I'm happy for Kovacs. He really exemplified what a Michigan leader should be.
December 4th, 2012 at 6:09 AM ^
I hope he ends up with his own TV show where he is a modern day detective who loves loli pops and gets his detective fame for breaking up an illegal poop in cooler gang in Columbus.
December 4th, 2012 at 6:54 AM ^
wait a minute buddy - there is nothing illegal about "poop in cooler" gangs in Columbus. talk about a plot hole!
December 4th, 2012 at 8:04 AM ^
"We want to play on that end, right there!" (complete with Hoke point) - NW OT, 2012
December 4th, 2012 at 11:52 AM ^
the microphone actually cut out before he finished. It was either:
"We want to play on that end, right there with those students!"
or
"We want to play on that end, right there where the students are!"
December 4th, 2012 at 8:31 AM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 8:36 AM ^
December 4th, 2012 at 8:41 AM ^
List of past winners?
Anyone have a good link for old winners- would be neat to see!
December 4th, 2012 at 9:01 AM ^
I'm not sure about a list list, but if you go to the Bentley Historical Library's Michigan football site and click on each year's team, it has the award winners listed.
December 4th, 2012 at 9:03 AM ^
List at mgoblue.com: Bo Schembechler Award
December 4th, 2012 at 9:25 AM ^
Thanks to both you guys!
December 4th, 2012 at 9:58 AM ^
is that they started giving out the Bo Schembechler Award 4 YEARS BEFORE BO WAS BORN!
They were like awesome fortune tellers man.
December 4th, 2012 at 10:27 AM ^
Per MGoBlue-
The Michigan Most Valuable Player Award was officially changed to the Bo Schembechler Award starting in the 1995 season with Tshimanga Biakabutuka as the first recipient.
December 4th, 2012 at 8:57 AM ^
so right, too!
December 4th, 2012 at 9:10 AM ^
Kovacs was leader of the D, which was clearly the strength of the team this year. The defense kept M in almost every game this season!
December 4th, 2012 at 10:11 AM ^
I propose that a new award be created: the Jordan Kovacs Award for Most Outstanding Walk On."
December 4th, 2012 at 10:31 AM ^
I was thinking the Jordan Kovacs "None shall pass!" award.
December 4th, 2012 at 10:57 AM ^
Alex Carder would understand that.
December 4th, 2012 at 11:00 AM ^
I just really like it when a good person and a hard worker gets recognized. Nothing against talented people, but I will always root for a guy that maximizes his talent with hard work and has do more to make an impact. And, especially when it's a good person too. I am really happy for the guy and think he's a great example of what a college student athlete should be.
December 4th, 2012 at 11:16 AM ^
I like it. Defensive players don't win this all that often, but this year there was no question that the D carried the team most of the way.
December 4th, 2012 at 12:29 PM ^
I think this is an excellent choice and congratulations to Jordan for winning this award. To go from a walk-on who had to try out multiple times just to get on the team, as I recall, to a clear leader in the locker room and on the defense is no small feat and such tenacity and leadership should be recognized. According to a few sources, he is only the third safety in Michigan history to get this award. Tripp Welborne and Randy Logan are the other two. Indeed, relatively rare recognition for the defense.