The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 19 Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh liked having Winovich on the Wolver- ines' side as well, but appreciated the talent across the board. He stressed that the veteran defensive end rep- resented a team featuring a host of potential MVPs. "There were so many guys that played at a very valuable level, a most valuable level, throughout our foot- ball team," Harbaugh said. "They all made huge impacts. "It's a team sport. That's the nature of football, where there's 11 on the field at one time — offense, defense, special teams — and so many valu- able players. The team recognized the one they thought was the most valu- able. Congratulations to Chase. He was very deserving as well." The naming of the MVP stayed con- sistent with Michigan's annual post- regular-season football celebration, but change swirled around the event. It featured a new name — the Mich- igan Football Awards Show — and a new location, Crisler Center. Replac- ing the long-time annual Football Bust at Livonia's Laurel Manor, the Awards Show featured a stage and massive backdrop on the west side of the arena, complete with video screens. Table seating for the team filled the area in front of the stage, with exten- sive floor seating behind and beside the tables. The arena itself then al- lowed for ticket-buying fans to gain access to the event, one still presented by the M Club of Greater Detroit. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh welcomed the crowd with comments urging the audience to give a hand to those who produced "a great season," both players and coaches. A host of Wolverines received awards, beyond the MVP designation for Winovich. They got their picture taken with "The Schemy," a small statue likeness of Bo Schembechler in his famous aviator glasses, playbook in hand — hardware they're to receive at a later date. The awards, in addition to the MVP, are as follows: • Dr. Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award: Fifth-year senior linebacker Noah Furbush — Furbush couldn't attend because he was interviewing in Tucson, Ariz., at Raytheon Missile Systems. He's earning a Master's de- gree in aerospace engineering, as well as contributing 10 tackles, an intercep- tion, a pass breakup and a quarter- back hurry as an outside linebacker this season. Furbush proved the very definition of a student-athlete, with a targeted future beyond the football field. • Student-Athlete with the Top GPA: Redshirt junior offensive line- man Stephen Spanellis — Spanel- lis made it back-to-back honors, after winning the award last year. He also presented the distinction, noting the fierce competition on the team for the award, given the emphasis Harbaugh puts on academics. "There are many hard-working, deserving student-athletes on this team," he said. But, he noted: "We're going back- to-back. The award goes to Stephen Spanellis … me." • Scout Team Offense Player of the Year: Freshman quarterback Joe Milton and redshirt freshman offen- sive lineman Jess Speight — Milton was the rare scout teamer to actually see the field, getting into three games in limited action for the Wolverines. But he also helped the Michigan de- fense prepare, and so did the younger brother of former U-M quarterback Wilton Speight. • Scout Team Defense Player of the Year: Redshirt freshman de- fensive back Hunter Reynolds and redshirt freshman linebacker Adam Shibley — These two boosted the of- fense by helping mimic the opposi- tion the most effectively among all the scout team defenders. • Scout Team Special Teams Player of the Year: Redshirt freshman de- fensive back Jared Davis • Most Improved Player, Offense: Sophomore wide receiver Nico Col- lins — Collins took a huge leap for- ward in his sophomore year. Stepping into a starting role when classmate Tarik Black injured a foot for the sec- ond straight year, Collins leads the team in receiving yards heading into the bowl game, with 552, and stands second on the team in catches, with 33, and touchdowns grabs, with six. • Most Improved Player, Defense: Junior defensive lineman Carlo Kemp — Kemp moved in to play tackle when injuries left the Wolver- ines shorthanded, and he delivered. The third-year Wolverine recorded a half-sack and 2.5 tackles for loss among 17 stops, while posting a quar- terback hurry and consistently clog- ging running lanes inside. • Most Improved Player, Special Teams: Redshirt sophomore defen- sive back Tyler Cochran • Ufer Spirit Award: Fifth-year se- nior fullback Jared Wangler — Wan- gler's big moment involved catching a touchdown pass against Maryland this year. But there was much more to him than one play, the son of former Wolverine John Wangler consistently exhibiting the exuberance of U-M broadcasting icon Bob Ufer. "It's a special feeling, for sure," Wangler said of winning the award. "We had a lot of guys who really took a leadership role this year." As for his touchdown, he noted: "I appreciate the coaches, and [junior quarterback] Shea [Patterson] putting the ball there." • Roger Zatkoff Award (top line- backer): Junior linebacker Devin Bush Jr. — Bush wasn't any surprise here, after leading Michigan with 80 stops (five sacks and 9.5 TFLs among them) and repeating as an All-American in his third season with the Wolverines. Arguably the fastest linebacker ever to pull on a Michi- gan uniform, Bush appreciated the defense around him. Junior linebacker Devin Bush Jr. was named a first-team All-American by Walter Camp, Sports Illustrated and The Athletic this season. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN