The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1473191
74 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW They took off my towel and were all hitting me. Obviously, I started crying." Even when he moved past becoming the butt of physical pranks, Oluwatimi remained open to a good scare. It didn't shatter him, but … "When I was about 12 or 13, we were in our house late at night," he remembered. "I turned off the light downstairs, and I was about to go upstairs to go to sleep. "I'm walking past our front door, where we have some stairs to go upstairs. My second- oldest brother jumps out of nowhere and just says 'BOO!' I broke the glass to the front door, with how much I jumped. "My parents were upset about that. They were blaming me, and I'm like, 'Look — it's not like I was just running around the house. I was just living life, and I was startled!' "Obviously, you get the tough love with your brothers. They wrestle with you. They were bigger than me, growing up, and I came out on the losing end." He doesn't come out on that end much any- more. A star performer at DeMatha Catholic High School, he captained the squad as a se- nior before embarking on a college career. He spent one year at the Air Force Academy, before transferring to Virginia. There, he played three seasons, started 35 games and pulled in numerous honors, culmi- nating in last year's flood of plaudits. Along the way, he's learned the lessons he'll put into ac- tion at Michigan Stadium this fall and beyond. A big piece of the puzzle for Oluwatimi involves knowing what's coming and how to react. "What works for me as a center is anticipa- tion," he said. "That comes from the prepara- tion you put in during the week. "As a center, you've got to watch film, you've got to study tendencies, and you've got to try to be right as often as possible. I don't put pressure on myself to be perfect, but I definitely want to be right as often as I can. When you anticipate, it allows you to play re- ally, really well." He also anticipated how best to mesh and engage with his new teammates. On the one hand, he mans a natural leadership position at center and carries the credentials to throw his considerable weight around. On the other, he's the new guy. Oluwatimi remained sensitive to that sta- tus, and he identifies offensive line returning starters Ryan Hayes (grad student left tackle), Trevor Keegan (senior left guard) and Zak Zinter (junior right guard) as the clear leaders in the O-line room. Not that he's a silent observer, after a few months on the job. "It's a give and take," he said. "When you come in, you've got to put your head down, you've got to work, and you've got to earn people's respect and trust. I feel like I've done that. Now I can go to certain people and open up my mouth, talk and hold them accountable. "If I'm holding them accountable, obviously I feel they should be able to hold me account- able as well. You can't come in just talking. You've first got to let your actions speak and then build that trust to be able to go and say some things." He's built the trust, and that includes con- fidence from senior quarterback Cade Mc- Namara. "I was really impressed," McNamara said of the newcomer. "He's a very serious, business- like individual. He takes his work very seri- ously. He takes a lot of pride in it. He's going to plug in extremely well. "He's a very smart, physical player. He's obviously proven himself at this level to be a very high-level center. I'm very grateful to have him on my team." Rivalries, Traditions And Carving A New Road Scott Stadium at the University of Vir- ginia holds 61,500 fans. Come September, Oluwatimi will be performing before nearly double that number for some games in The Big House. He doesn't dwell on it. He's not ignoring it, either. He's also learned to allow a little extra time for savvy Michigan football fans, even on a trip to the grocery store. "I try not to think about it too often," Olu- watimi said. "But I'd be lying if I said I haven't. The electric atmosphere of game day in Ann Arbor is something I've not experienced. I'm very excited to get eight home games in front of our fans. "Playing at a university like this definitely livens it up. Since I've been here, the fans are awesome. I could be at Kroger or wher- ever, and they'll be like, 'Are you…' and I'll say, 'Yeah.' They want to get a picture. It's a new experience and good experience. I'm very happy that I'm here. "I guess Michigan fans really do their home- work. It's been all love and a good time." The best time for fans, players and coaches last autumn played out while snow drifted down on the stadium surface. Michigan threw off its longstanding misery against Ohio State and rumbled to a 42-27 win. Oluwatimi had his own game to prepare for that afternoon. Still, he's witnessed enough video from that contest to absorb the intensity and what a key role a Buckeye-crushing of- fensive line can produce. "I definitely watched the highlights, and I saw the way Michigan bruised Ohio State up in the run game last year," Oluwatimi said. "I'm very excited to be a part of the rivalries that are here at Michigan. Michigan-Ohio State is among the best in the country for rivalry games. We train every day to beat Ohio State. "When that day comes, there is going to be a lot of emotion, and a culmination of the work we put in." He's putting in plenty more work this sum- mer, on his own and with teammates. Whereas he's gained a general understanding of the of- Oluwatimi completed his graduate transfer in time to undergo the full slate of spring practices and quickly earned the respect of his new U-M teammates. PHOTO BY EJ HOLLAND