The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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34 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2021 been significant in getting grounded as the games go forward. "Vastardis is the leader of our O-line," Keegan said. "He makes all the calls. We jelled really well this spring together. We've just continued to carry that on." Keegan learned something else about Vastardis in the spring. He watched him in considerable discomfort and carefully scrutinized his process of readying him- self for the season to come. "Man, even during spring ball, he was having his back problems," Keegan said. "He wasn't able to sustain blocks. This summer, we were doing these erectors, back extensions. He works his tail off. We all see it, follow him. It's crazy how hard he works. "That's paid dividends for us this year. He's been playing amazing." AIDAN HUTCHINSON This junior defensive end collected more national preseason notice than any Wolverine. Injury cut short his 2020 sea- son, adding to Michigan's miseries and to Hutchinson's motivation for the 2021 campaign. Wearing the No. 97 his All-American father, Chris Hutchinson, donned from 1988-92, Aidan is getting after it in a way that could complete a father-son All-American combo. Through Michi- gan's first three games, he'd racked up 10 tackles, 4.5 of them sacks, two quar- terback hurries and a forced fumble. His QB takedown total is tied for first nationally, and he's a high-energy, high-decibel presence on the field. "He just wins all of his one-on-ones," noted freshman linebacker Nikhai Hill- Green. "You have to double him. He's definitely an asset to our defense in that way." Defensive coordinator Mike Mac- donald reached for a baseball analogy recently when describing the multiple maneuvers Hutchinson has to throw at opponents. He's tough to handle, Mac- donald noted, because he can mix it up. "He's got about a 100-mile-an- hour four-seamer and a 96-mile-an- hour two-seamer, to go along with a 93-mile-an-hour slider," Macdonald said. He's also on a mission. In 2020, Hutchinson experienced the shock and the loneliness Bell faces in 2021, after leaving last year's Indiana game with a season-ending injury. He's never looked back, and getting a renewed stamp of approval as a captain amped him up even more. "It's surreal," Hutchinson said upon becoming a captain for 2021. "Just be- ing in that room, and looking back at my freshman year, seeing those guys walk up and give their little speech to the team, it's just surreal, thinking about it. "My dad was in the same shoes 30 years ago at Michigan, whenever it was. Sixth-year senior center Andrew Vastardis is a former walk-on who earned a scholarship at the start of the 2019 season and served as a captain last year. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Sixth-year senior center Andrew Vastardis on being voted a captain by his teammates "It is truly the greatest honor I've ever received." Junior Aidan Hutchinson was tabbed to go to the Detroit Lions second overall in the 2022 NFL Draft in a Sept. 15 mock draft released by CBS Sports. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL