The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2019 THE WOLVERINE 29 outside, on an island, by themselves. They're doing a great job of taking away the receivers. I'm just thankful to have those corners to play with." The study leads to success, Long in- sisted. An honorable mention All-Big Ten performer last year and the high- est-rated returning cornerback in the nation in the preseason Pro Football Focus forecast, Long hasn't slacked off. He's driven to get better, and con- stantly looking for the preparedness edge on opponents. "I try to put in the most time possi- ble," Long said. "Anything that allows me to be more comfortable than the average person in the game, be more reactive … "I'm able to go out there calm, mov- ing around, recognizing patterns, mo- tions, rather than seeing it as disarray, with everybody moving around in a chaotic motion. "I'm able to understand it and make the adjustment on the sideline. That helps, when you're able to play calm, you're able to talk, able to communi- cate, able to help other people make plays." "He's just a sponge," Sanders ob- served. "David is one of the smartest football players I've ever been around, at any level. He wanted to learn as much as he possibly could. He was so coachable. He would take it all in." ALWAYS POISED TO COMPETE Long learned in other ways, like taking on some tough covers, in hand- to-hand combat. "Last year, [Indiana's] Simmie Cobbs was my first matchup against a big name," Long recalled. "He's a bigger receiver. I hadn't really played that much, and that guy had a lot of experience. Going into that game, I had to really get my feet under myself and get my mind right. "With guys like that, it's always tricky. Those guys are very capable of making plays. You've got to put in the work and keep yourself in the right framework. If this guy makes a play, I can't get all out of whack. I've got to keep my mind calm and get back out there, ready to compete." He attributes his pre-Lewis pre- paredness to Sanders, who brought a big-college mentality to the Loyola program. "He taught me how to break down film, taught me techniques, taught me tendencies, really allowed me to get the ball rolling when I came here," Long said of Sanders. "I already knew how to conduct myself in meetings, take notes, read things — simple things that most people don't really get. "That's a guy that was coming from a big program. I was a step ahead of a lot of guys, in that sense." He's always been a step ahead in many ways, Sanders observed. "I know he's doing right in the classroom and will have an education from one of the greatest institutions in America," Sanders offered. "I'm proud of that young man, his work ethic and always being able to do the right thing." ❏ Michigan's Top Cornerback Tandems Since 1993 Michigan has enjoyed some strong cornerback combos over the past quar- ter century, including its current one, both of whom were named first-team All-Big Ten by the league coaches. Here are the top five since 1993, in our esti- mation: 1. Charles Woodson and Andre Weathers, 1997 — Woodson, of course, was the king of college football in Michi- gan's national championship season. He won the Heisman Trophy, proved everybody's All-American and picked off eight passes that year. But Weathers also earned All-Big Ten honors and made a key pick-six against Ohio State that helped U-M beat the Buckeyes, 20-14. 2. Jourdan Lewis and Channing Stribling, 2016 — The Wolverines' powerful defense of 2016 included an All-American in Lewis and his very ca- pable sidekick. Lewis picked off a pair of passes and broke up 11 more, becoming Michigan's all-time leader in the latter category. Stribling — picked on more because of Lewis' presence — led the Wolverines with four interceptions and broke up 13 passes; his 17 combined breakups is the fourth-best single-sea- son total in program history. 3. Woodson and Clarence Thompson, 1995 — Woodson earned All-Big Ten honors as a freshman, reaching his apex by picking off two passes in Michigan's upset win over Ohio State at the end of the regular season. Clarence Thompson was a physical cornerback — later a safety — who picked off two passes and also became an All-Big Ten corner. 4. Woodson and Woody Hankins, 1996 — Woodson warmed up for '97 by picking off five passes and increasingly asserting himself, including in Michigan's 13-9 defensive clamp-down over Ohio State in Columbus. He earned All-Big Ten honors, while Hankins picked off a pass and proved capable of holding his own on the other side of the secondary. 5. Marlin Jackson and Markus Curry/Leon Hall, 2004 — Jackson garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors at cornerback, notching six tackles for loss and a sack among 47 stops, with an interception. On the other side, Curry made three interceptions and forced a fumble in a half-dozen starts, while Hall began to as- sert himself with 48 tackles, eight pass breakups and two picks for the Big Ten champions. — John Borton Former Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson made up one-half of three of the top five cornerback tandems at Michigan since 1993. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN