The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482097
NOVEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 19 game (128.7). He's crept into Heisman Trophy talk, while teammates, coaches and opponents marvel at his cutting ability, strength and toughness. The 5-foot-8, 210-pound mix of mus- cle and moves left Iowa's All-Big Ten linebacker Jack Campbell flatfooted and grasping at a ghost on a highlight reel touchdown run in Iowa City. Campbell isn't alone, although he was on that play. Corum possesses the consistent abil- ity to make others look pedestrian, and his grade-school self to appear prescient. THE UNKINDEST CUT "There's an old saying in football that a running back who can miss somebody by the narrowest of margins is an unbe- lievable talent," Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh observed. "Now Blake can get so close to a defender, a would-be tack- ler — within inches — and then make the slight move where somebody that close doesn't even touch him. "Some backs will make the cut a yard away, or two yards away. Blake Corum gets to the point where he can smell their breath and then make the slight, six-inch cut, miss by the narrowest of margins. It's incredible. "The vision, the low center of gravity … players talk about having a hard time finding him. The real key to his success is just how close he can get to a defender and then miss by the narrowest of margins." Harbaugh claims he didn't teach Co- rum any of that. Nor did Mike Hart, be- loved as his position coach is to the junior tailback. No, the reactions to would-be Corum crushers arrived long before he found his way to Ann Arbor. "The really good running backs, the great running backs, a running back like Blake … they crawl out of the crib with it," Harbaugh assured. "It's natural instincts, right?" Corum acknowledged. "Being able to see out of the corner of my eye when I'm running, OK, I can cut back right now, or when he's this close, I can cut back. I can get this close to a defender without him touch- ing me. "I think that's what he means when he says it's natural. It's things you don't naturally have to do drills for. It's being able to feel who's on me, quick, and that's a natural instinct of mine." What didn't seem as natural coming into the season involved Corum's ability to become an every-down back. He's got- ten bigger, without a hint of losing his de- fender-confounding maneuvers — rocked up, as Michigan radio play-by-play an- nouncer Doug Karsch says. Michigan's weight room warrior erased all questions about his durability or his ability to get tough yards, Harbaugh noted. He's emerged from the shadow of last year's starter, Hassan Haskins (if you can call 952 yards rushing and 11 touch- downs a sophomore shadow) to become Michigan's main man. "He's checking every box he can check," Harbaugh confirmed. "He's an every- down back, he's a short-yardage back. He's very versatile. He can run the whole assortment of runs. He can run the inside runs, he can run the outside runs, he can protect, he can block, he can catch it out of the backfield. "He's a five-tool running back. He does it all." He doesn't do it through magic or dreams. He worked for it. Every ounce of his football success arrived amid a relent- lessness learned from parents who didn't know the meaning of quit. CORUM'S JOURNEY UNFOLDS The Big Ten Network's "The Journey" produced a 6-minute peek behind the curtain on Corum's upbringing recently, depicting the sacrifices James and Chris- tina Corum made in helping Blake along. James Corum owns a landscaping company, and his legendary work ethic got passed along to his son. In augment- ing what "The Journey" depicted, the younger Corum told The Wolverine how his father's footsteps presented them- selves naturally for him to follow. "When I was about 2, I'd run outside with no shoes on," Corum recalled. "I'm from the country, and I'd play outside all day. I would wait outside for my dad to back into the driveway with his dump truck." Through seven games, Corum had rushed for 901 yards and 13 touchdowns. He ranked No. 1 nationally in rushing touchdowns and No. 2 in rushing yardage. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Head coach Jim Harbaugh "He's an every-down back, he's a short-yardage back. He's very versatile. He can run the whole assortment of runs. He can run the inside runs, he can run the outside runs, he can protect, he can block, he can catch it out of the backfield. He's a five-tool running back. He does it all."