The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1184078
DECEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 27 BY CHRIS BALAS C ollege football's transfer portal has been the source of controversy among some pundits, many having ques- tioned whether or not it's good for the game. Even Michigan defensive coordi- nator Don Brown wondered aloud at a press conference earlier this year what kids were learning by being en- couraged to up and leave rather than stick it out and work for something. When it works as intended, how- ever, it can be a huge benefit to both players and coaches. Michigan graduate senior Mike Danna is the perfect example, mak- ing the leap from Central Michigan to Michigan — his dream school grow- ing up as a kid from Detroit — and not only contributing, but excelling. Through nine games, Danna had notched 24 tackles as a backup to the self-proclaimed "Salt and Pepper" defensive end duo of Aidan Hutchin- son and Kwity Paye. Two of those were sacks, and another pressure — a hit on quarter- back Josh Jackson at Maryland early in the red zone — might have been his biggest play of the year. The ball squirted out and up, senior safety Josh Metellus picked it off and a 14-0 lead was preserved on the way to a 38-7 win. Danna earned the team's defensive lineman of the week honors for the second time this season for his efforts versus Maryland (against Rutgers in a 52-0 win being the other), to the surprise of absolutely nobody. "He's a monster," senior linebacker Josh Uche said in the Maryland post- game, shaking his head. "He's been a monster since he set foot on this campus. There are still some things people haven't seen that he can do. "I'm just so happy for him. I'm ex- cited for him to continue to build his game and continue to open peoples' eyes." Head coach Jim Harbaugh had sung Danna's praises throughout fall camp. There was no hesitation in do- ing it once more. "The pressures were key all day," he said. "The sacks, the pressures that led to some throwaways, that hit that led to the ball going up in the air then Josh was all over it … "Mike Danna has been a great guy. Everybody loves Mike Danna, and he keeps getting better and better. He's a darn good football player." A LONG JOURNEY In a perfect world, Danna prob- ably would have started his career as a Wolverine. However, at 6-1, 230 pounds, the Warren (Mich.) De La Salle product just wasn't ready phys- ically. He'd always been a leader with a high motor and good speed (4.6 seconds in the 40), but his only offer other than CMU came from Notre Dame … and not the university, but a tiny Division II college in Ohio. He quickly worked his way up the Chippewas' depth chart. By his red- shirt junior year, he was the team's MVP and a Pro Football Focus All- American. Michigan tight ends coach Sher- r o n e M o o r e , a C M U a s s i s t a n t prior to arriving in Ann Arbor for the 2018 campaign, said it came as no surprise to him. "One, he's an extremely talented kid with God-given talents," Moore said. "But it's also his drive, moti- vation, and his upbringing with his mom and dad, how they brought him up. … He's just a great kid. "He's really focused and very ma- ture. He's been that way since he was a freshman. He's got that mindset that he's going to be successful and do whatever it takes." Which is why Moore chimed in im- mediately when head coach Jim Har- baugh asked his coaches last winter if they knew of anyone in the transfer portal who might consider Michigan. When Danna heard the Wolverines might be interested, it was all over. "Michigan has been a dream of mine my whole childhood. My fa- ther and I always watched Michigan games," he said. "As soon as I got the offer, I knew I was coming to Michi- gan. It's 45 minutes from home. "My parents love that — they get to come out to The Big House ev- ery Saturday when we have home games. To have my parents come out In U-M's first nine games, Danna had played 281 snaps and recorded a 79.0 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade, which ranked sixth on the Wolverines' defense. PFF credited him with 21 pressures (sacks, QB hits and hurries) during that time, which ranked fourth on the squad. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Senior linebacker Josh Uche on Danna "He's a monster. He's been a monster since he set foot on this campus. There are still some things people haven't seen that he can do."