The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1479568
TEAM CAPTAIN MIKE SAINRISTIL IS MAKING AN IMPACT IN HIS NEW ROLE Senior Mike Sainristil's U-M career has been spent mostly at wide receiver, but a position switch to defen- sive back in the spring has already paid huge dividends for the co-captain. Operating out of the nickel spot on defense, Sainristil racked up the first sack of the season for the Wolverines in their 51-7 win over Colorado State in Week 1. He finished the game with 3 solo tackles. "He's doing veteran things," defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale said Sept. 14. "He's out there anticipating the issues and doing a very good job of disguising and in understanding what they're trying to do to attack us. And like I say all the time, he's doing his job, which makes him a really good player. But he's also doing things that make him great at times — when he could do his job and do someone else's job but making sure his job's taken care of. You see him do that, really, with his effort." Sainristil has 36 catches for 532 yards and 5 touch- downs in his career, but he has looked like an absolute natural in his new role. He is still listed as a wideout/ defensive back on the team roster, but he has fully em- braced the new challenge and wants to be the best de- fensive back currently wearing a winged helmet. "His unbelievable effort, unbelievable strain, unbeliev- able passion on just trying to make plays and do things right," Clinkscale said. "He wants to be the best DB on the team, wants to be the best DB in the nation. That's his goal." — Anthony Broome PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL