The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 105 time to get back to full health for the first time in years. "My junior year was the first year I played without the hernias," he said. "I was still kind of still sore at the beginning of the season. Now I'm feeling good. "That was the best thing that ever happened to me, I could work out without trying to un- derstand why I'm hurting. I'm so glad I found out what it was. At the end of September, I felt like I was back to 100 percent, and it stayed that way through the season." And boy, did it show. By October, he was starting to make next-level plays, including a juggling interception against Northwestern and a pick-six against Maryland. He earned honor- able mention All-Big Ten honors and dominated in coverage, to the point that he's now consid- ered one of the conference's top returnees. Turner posted a team-best 83.3 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, allowing 26 receptions, 267 yards and 2 touchdowns on 59 targets. He expects to improve on those num- bers this season. "The main thing I felt after the surgery was no one will be able to run by me now," he said. "I'm healthy. I feel good, so I can run with anyone. "When you think like that, you can play more aggressively on certain routes because you're not worried about getting beat. I was feeling confident throughout the season be- cause for the first time in a long time, I was healthy." The Final Chapter It was apparent not only to Turner and his coaches, but to everyone who watched him play. The way he was breaking on the ball, tackling, finishing plays and playing with swagger stood out. Michigan sideline reporter Doug Karsch, now the Wolverines' play-by-play man for radio broadcasts, noticed it from field level. There was also something different about the corner when he interviewed him after games last year, Karsch noted. "He's fun to watch and fun to talk to," he said. "But what really became noticeable was how confident he is in his own ability. I think it's part of what makes him a great player." With the potential to be even better. Part of being a "great" at Michigan is pass- ing on knowledge to the others in the room. Those who gain it are expected to share it, and that philosophy is passed on from class to class, generation to generation. It doesn't stop when you leave, either, Turner noted. "Even from my freshman year, I still talk to Lavert Hill and Ambry Thomas all the time," Turner said. "That's big with me. Then with Vince and Gemon — it was all just a family. Now it's my turn to get everybody else right like how they were doing with me. "It's big, realizing how I was looking at Vert and Ambry as a freshman. I have to understand that's how [the young guys] are looking at me now … to put the example out there so they understand it's their turn, to help the routine of the group. "Going into the season, I want to help ev- eryone go into the games confident. If they ask me questions, I'll help them." More than anyone, though, he's learned from second-year coach Steve Clinkscale. The former longtime Kentucky assistant made an immediate impact in the second- ary, using a no-nonsense approach and some tough love to get the most out of his players. Clinkscale isn't one to sugarcoat. That ap- proach helped push Turner to his limits, and he's to the point now that he's refining his skill set and building on what he's learned. "He's helped me a lot," Turner said. "I am learning different techniques, pushing up on the line, playing in zone. He's teaching me different schemes, different techniques on what to do, down and distance, all kind of stuff. "I'll just be putting that more into my game and just polishing up everything in the offsea- son. I like pressing, so just getting good at my press man. It's just mastering the technique." It's been the same with a lot of the defen- sive backs, he said. And though they lost three good ones, they all feel they can be the Big Ten's best unit. His personal goals will come later, and they'll be lofty. Right now, all he's thinking about is winning. "We've still got high expectations, for sure," Turner said. "We did lose guys, but people have to step up. That's really what it comes down to. Last year, people like me, R.J. Moten, Rod Moore and Gemon Green had to. We were the main ones that really got the time last year." It starts with himself, though. And now that he's healthy and gotten a taste of how good he can be when he is, he's ready for even bigger and better things in 2022. ❏ Five For Five — Great Players Have Worn The No. 5 Jersey For U-M Senior corner DJ Turner is well on his way to upholding the tradition of the No. 5 jersey, one worn by several Michigan starters through the years — including current defensive line coach and recruiting coor- dinator Mike Elston (1993-96). Here are five of the most notable: 5. Erik Campbell, DB (1984-87): Campbell switched to offense and played receiver in 1984, and he also returned 14 punts for 120 yards, an average of 8.6 yards per return. He moved back to defense a year later and played corner and safety, winning two Big Ten titles. Campbell started seven games at cornerback and five games at free safety in 1987, and he finished his career with 98 tackles, 5 interceptions and 17 punt returns for 132 yards (7.8 yard average) in four years at Michigan. He'd eventually become U-M's longtime receivers coach under Lloyd Carr. 4. John Wangler, QB (1978-80): Wangler played behind Rick Leach and then B.J. Dickey, who got the starting nod in 1979. Wangler emerged that year to take over the starting role and led Michigan to the Gator Bowl. There, the Wolverines lost the game and their signal-caller to a severe knee injury. Wangler's 45-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to freshman Anthony Carter on the last play of the Indiana game that year remains legendary. He then led U-M to a Big Ten title in 1980 and Bo Schem- bechler's first Rose Bowl win, a 23-6 victory over Washington. 3. Gordon Bell, RB (1973-75): The 5-9 Ohioan made his mark early on Michigan football, former coach and the late Bo Schembechler calling him "the best 'cut' runner I've ever had" due to his incredible foot- work. He was the Big Ten's leading rusher in 1975 and set U-M's single-season all-purpose yardage record that year with 1,714, a mark that stood until Jamie Morris topped it in 1987. The two-time Big Ten champion went to the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft and spent three seasons in the league, the last with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1978. 2. Donovan Warren, CB (2007-09): The California native started 34 games from 2007-09 and was a Freshman All-American (College Football News) and the Big Ten Defensive Freshman of the Year (Sport- ing News) in 2007. He left Michigan after a junior season (2009) in which he picked off passes in each of the first three games, finished tied for sixth in the Big Ten with 4 interceptions overall and earned All-Big Ten honors from the media (second team from the coaches). Warren spent time on NFL practice squads for three seasons before retiring from football. 1. Jabrill Peppers, S (2014-16): A former five-star prospect out of New Jersey, Peppers did it all at Michi- gan. He dominated at both safety and linebacker, returned punts and even ran some wildcat at quarter- back. He was injured his first season and redshirted after playing three games but rebounded in 2015 to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in addition to first-team All-Big Ten accolades. He also was a second-team All-Big Ten special teams pick by the coaches and a second-team All-Amer- ican (CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated). Peppers was a consensus All-American in 2016 and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting. He went to the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft and is now with the New England Patriots. — Chris Balas