The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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14 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW MICHIGAN FOOTBALL One school year and two sports resulted in a pair of Big Ten championships for rising senior linebacker Joey Velazquez, who's also a standout Michigan baseball outfielder. Velazquez, who played a reserve role on the gridiron last season, appeared in eight games on special teams and defense in two, contributing 2 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. Velazquez dedicated most of his efforts to the football program during the spring but joined the baseball squad during his "free time." He registered 4 tackles, including a half-stop for loss, in U-M's April 2 spring game before mov- ing over to baseball on a full-time basis. "It's a lot of time management," the 6-0, 228-pounder told Big Ten Network. "It takes a lot of discipline, and I couldn't do it without these guys. They're so supportive; they help me out. [Head] Coach [Erik] Bakich and all of them are so understanding of what I've got going on. It's just great to be a part of a great program." As the season progressed, he earned more and more playing time on the diamond. "You know my love of multiple sports, guys that play multiple sports. … He won a game for the team early," head football coach Jim Harbaugh said, refer- ring to Velazquez's pinch-hit, go-ahead home run against Maryland March 4. "He's been clutch. To see him compete and claw his way into the starting lineup and get a big hit, it's phenomenal." Velazquez started 25 of his 32 games, batting .277 with 8 doubles, 5 home runs and 21 RBI. He helped the Wolverines win the Big Ten Tournament and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time since 2015. The Maize and Blue advanced to the regional final, winning the first game of the series before falling twice to host Louisville. Velazquez's football teammates, Harbaugh and his son, Jack, cheered him on along the way. "Nobody is happier than my 9-year-old son, Jack Harbaugh," the head coach noted. "He is so into this baseball team. We watch every inning on TV. Joey is one of his favorite players. Little Jack can name off every single guy in the lineup. "Joey Velazquez is our favorite because he plays football as well. And he sometimes takes little Jack out there and gives him some hitting instruction." — Clayton Sayfie Dual-Sport Athlete Joey Velazquez Shines On The Diamond Michigan Players Have 'A Blast' Giving Back At TUFF Camp Michigan football players, youth and high school campers flooded the field at Father Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor June 5, smiles and all. Over 10 Wolverines coached at a camp put on by TUFF, which stands for "The Uniform Funding Foundation," a group that provides uniforms, equipment and mentorship to underserved youth athletes. Per the organization, which was founded by former U-M linebacker Adam Shibley, the majority of the funds raised from the event were put directly toward that mission. "I've gone to multiple TUFF events, and Adam Shibley, [CFO and former Michigan defensive lineman] Jess Speight and these dudes do a great job," senior quarterback Cade McNamara said. "What I think is so unique is none of these dudes got paid. In a world of NIL and a lot of camps, every single one of these dudes came out to volunteer and give back to the community. "The fact that these dudes were able to do that and make sure the kids have such a great time is awesome." "If we can send the right message to these kids and make them feel like they got better or make them get better throughout a day or a couple hours of work, then it's worth it," graduate wide receiver Ronnie Bell added. Graduate tight end Joel Honigford is TUFF's development director, and he had a big hand in rallying his teammates to come out for the camp. That players from every class on U-M's team took the time out to attend speaks volumes about the Wolverines' culture, McNamara said. "The guys who came out wanted to do something cool for the community, and they wanted to give back," McNamara explained. "But it also shows how close we are as teammates that, hey, my brother needs some- thing from me, and I'm going to always do it. "We just have such great chemistry on this team. We have guys from all ages out here. We even had freshmen, guys who just got here, and it shows how they're already part of the group, part of the unit. It's something special." The U-M players took part in a pair of two-hour sessions — one with fourth through eighth graders and another with high school students — and were passionate in coaching them up and making sure they had an enjoyable experience. In turn, the Wolverines had a lot of fun, too. "I had a blast out here," McNamara said. "A lot of passion, not just from me, but from the other guys as well." — Clayton Sayfie Velazquez, a senior linebacker, pulled double-duty this spring as a starting outfielder on Michigan's Big Ten championship-winning baseball team. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS/TWITTER Graduate tight end Joel Honigford rallied more than 10 of his U-M teammates across all classes to come out and volunteer as coaches at a June 5 TUFF camp for under- served youth athletes in Ann Arbor. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL