Best Athlete on 2010 Michigan Football Team?
RR is starting to acquire some tremendous athletes on his football team. Who is the best athlete on the 2010 squad. IMHO
1. Shawn Conway
1A Denard
2. Dorsey
3. Furman
4. Pitchfork (I kiid) Woolfolk
Who replace Ohenne as the worst? somebody has to be the worst and it's all relative anyway. I don't know enough to speculate on this one.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:13 PM ^
The Mexicutioner
February 20th, 2010 at 5:19 PM ^
Somebody in Ann Arbor needs to start offering a giant burrito called The Mexicutioner. I would do it myself, but all my money is tied up in my brother's stupid gay-themed hot dog stand idea.
February 21st, 2010 at 9:26 AM ^
You might want to offer fish tacos so you don't get hit with a sexual discrimination suit for only catering to men.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:12 PM ^
I would say
1.Denard
2.Hawthorne
3.Woolfork
4.Terrence Robinson
5.Dorsey
February 20th, 2010 at 5:16 PM ^
Your inclusion of Hawthorne at #2 thoroughly confuses me.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:22 PM ^
When on a football field the kid is a beast! He may not have great speed, but on the field he is everywhere. Although, so are a lot of kids in high school. Just watch out for him the next couple of years.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:29 PM ^
Okay.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:30 PM ^
When he finally gets on a football field, maybe we'll all get to see it for ourselves.
I would think the best athlete on the team would be somebody who's such a good athlete that he actually gets playing time, but that's probably crazy talk.
February 20th, 2010 at 6:44 PM ^
You would think that, but the best athletes are not always good football players (i.e., Adam Patterson).
February 21st, 2010 at 3:00 PM ^
Since when has Adam Patterson been considered extremely athletic?
February 20th, 2010 at 5:33 PM ^
So you're saying one of the best athletes on the team is a 6' 198 lb linebacker who isn't particularly fast?
February 20th, 2010 at 6:53 PM ^
Its all about his pad level!
February 20th, 2010 at 5:25 PM ^
I hope you are right about Hawthorne, having an Lawerece Taylor type coming off the edge, would certainly make Gerg's job easier :)
February 20th, 2010 at 5:15 PM ^
But we don't have the speed to compete with SEC teams...
February 20th, 2010 at 5:16 PM ^
Too bad the Coner's not coming back or he would be a lock. For the best or worst is the question though.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:17 PM ^
Somebody was asked last year who the slowest person on the team was, and they said it was probably Bryant Nowicki. So I might vote for him as the worst athlete.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:24 PM ^
I'm going to bend the rules a bit and say that Rod Smith is the most unathletic member of the football program.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:32 PM ^
I smell a new thread in the makings.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:20 PM ^
Definitely depends on one's definition of most athletic.
I agree that Molk should be considered amongst those in the running.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:28 PM ^
As I recall, Rich Rod said he was the best football player on the team. That doesn't necessarily translate to best athlete though.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:21 PM ^
I know Tate had his fair share of freshman troubles, but I would have to say he has to be one of the most well-rounded athletes. Arm, poise, endurance (MSU), play-making ability. He has to be up there. Hopefully this year proves that true.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:59 PM ^
he has it, yes. what does it have to do with his athleticism?
February 20th, 2010 at 8:06 PM ^
Poise allows one to stay composed in times of importance, which allows their athleticism to shine through. I would say it is a very important component of true athleticism.
Does Tate make that 4th down run against Notre Dame without some serious poise under pressure?
February 20th, 2010 at 8:10 PM ^
maybe poise allows one to demonstrate their athleticism, but it doesnt make them more athletic
February 20th, 2010 at 8:50 PM ^
The mental game is just as important as the physical game, thus if poise enhances your mental game, which it most assuredly does, it does in fact make you more athletic. Any one that says the mental game isn't a part of sport, clearly, isn't a part of sport themselves.
February 20th, 2010 at 10:07 PM ^
I tend to agree here. I think there is overall athleticism and mental athleticism. Mike Hart's ridiculous vision which allowed him to hit holes and make people miss was certainly an athletic trait, though maybe not a physical one.
To me, athleticism is something you are born with that most people do not have. The type of athleticism most people talk about includes simply the physical traits, such as raw speed, vertical jump, and natural strength and size.
February 21st, 2010 at 11:27 AM ^
You're way off base. While raw speed is something you are blessed with you can increase one's speed with the proper training regiment, vertical jump and strength can also be improved through training. Size (frame) on the other hand is definitely an inherited trait.
The funny thing about athleticism is you can inherit it as a trait from your parents, but if the environment you are in doesn't lend itself to enhancing those traits they are meaningless. This is one of the exceptions to Gregor Mendel's work.
February 20th, 2010 at 11:31 PM ^
i never said poise and being smart wasnt a part of sports...its a very important part of sports...and like i said poise helps you bring out your athleticism...but thats not what the question is...the question is about pure athleticism
February 20th, 2010 at 5:22 PM ^
Ohenne? You mean Triple-O?
Best athlete does not mean fastest and/or highly recruited freshmen. I would tend to guess that the upperclassmen like Mike Martin, Mouton, Stonum, Fitzgerald, etc are probably the best all around athletes.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:27 PM ^
Mike Martin isn't human though, so I don't think you can include him.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:37 PM ^
I forgot about Mike Martin, he would be getting the ball from the full back position in goal line situations if I were the coach.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:45 PM ^
nothing says athleticism like a goal-line fullback
February 20th, 2010 at 5:53 PM ^
Agreed. Think Terrence Cody.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:26 PM ^
He can move, and I think he will only get better.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:28 PM ^
Best athlete in college football. End of discussion.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:32 PM ^
There is only one choice. The man, the myth, the legend, his name is Nick Sheridan.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:40 PM ^
I wish people would just quit it with the Sheridan jokes. He was not a great QB, and was not recruited as this was already a known fact. He was put in a really shitty position and worked his ass of to the best of his ability.
I'd love to see you do that. Wonder how great you'd be in front of the extreme pessimism and scrutiny that surround Michigan Football that year. And through it all he kept a good attitude and never stopped trying.
Let it go!
February 20th, 2010 at 5:44 PM ^
Based on your avatar you look like a helluva wrastler, do you think you could defeat Mike Martin in a cage match?
February 20th, 2010 at 7:16 PM ^
"I have given up wrestling. The orphans don't need me anymore..."
- but yes.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:06 PM ^
I agree, it's not his fault. He never was a D-1 caliber QB and by all accounts worked his ass off. I can understand being frustrated with a super-hyped kid that self-destructed, but not a walk-on starting in an otherwise all-Freshman backfield for a D-1 powerhouse--he didn't make Mallett transfer.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:59 PM ^
Sheridan is changing to graduate assistant.
February 20th, 2010 at 10:13 PM ^
Not at Michigan though. I met him in Wisco before the Camp Randall Classic. He said he put his application out to a bunch of other schools because there are no spots available at U of M. He was a really nice guy, and I wish him nothing but the best. I bet he will make a fine coach somewhere.
February 20th, 2010 at 5:46 PM ^
So, are we considering the best athlete the fastest player?
or the one with the most impressive squat thrust?
February 20th, 2010 at 5:53 PM ^
I'd think of it like recruiting in both real life and the NCAA video games.
An ATH can really play any position, but typically these are the guys that are filling out the RB, WR, CB, and S spots.
On our squad I think this discussion begins and ends with the kids from Florida - Denard and Dorsey.
And since Denard can play QB - he's the winner.
February 20th, 2010 at 6:15 PM ^
If we are we shouldn't be. I consider Brandon Graham the best athlete of the 2009 team.
February 20th, 2010 at 8:02 PM ^
Obviously the guy was a beast on the field; but do you remember that video of him doing gymnastics?! (was a segment on MGoBlue I think)
Unreal athleticism.
February 20th, 2010 at 6:10 PM ^
Mike Martin. He won state championships in wrestling and discus. And he is a beast in football.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:13 PM ^
lol i went to high school with martin and not only did he win the wrestling state championship but he was also incredible in the shot put and broke some records...and in both sports he used almost no technique whatsoever....guy is definitely a freak of an athlete
February 20th, 2010 at 9:33 PM ^
So did I. What class are you? And yeah, I couldn't remember if it was shot put or discus, so I just put discus.