The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2022 THE WOLVERINE 29 "He's just super athletic for a tight end," Johnson pointed out. "He's big, he's physical, and for how fast he can run as a tight end, he's really smooth." He's also very matter-of-fact when it comes to doing his job. Schoonmaker un- derstands it well and insists it's simply a matter of performing when the bright lights go on. "It's understanding that I was going to have more of a workload now, just making sure that I'm on top of my game and con- fident every week, playing the best that I can," Schoonmaker said, regarding his job in All's absence. "Also, credit to the rest of the room. "It's everybody stepping up, even the younger guys, to fulfill different roles, and everybody mak- ing their own contributions. It's just a call to do higher things, and more things. "It's been a blast. But like I've said be- fore, I'm just doing my job, being where I'm supposed to be in the passing game. If the ball is thrown to me, I've got to make a play with it. Just doing those simple things is what's gotten me to be here." All remains a big part of Michigan's team, Schoonmaker assured, despite his contributions getting limited to the side- lines. "He hasn't changed at all, honestly," Schoonmaker said. "He's been right with us since the surgery. He came right back with us, working with the scout defense, making sure those guys are bringing it every day during the week. His energy and his excitement never changed. "Whenever any of us makes a play, it's like he just made the play. He'll pull me aside, or pull someone aside, and tell them what he saw that maybe we didn't see. That's been great to have." It's also been great for Schoonmaker to be in on the ground floor of the McCar- thy era. The big tight end proved himself over and over as a security blanket for the young quarterback, and both have ben- efited. "It's a blast to go out there and play with him, just how talented he is," Schoon- maker said. "It's making sure I'm in the right place at the right time. He makes the right reads and gets the ball to me. "We definitely click pretty well to- gether. We'll just continue to do that." They'll also keep on the same path to- ward the showdown against Ohio State, Schoonmaker assured. Michigan has been racking up wins by an average of roughly 30 points per game, which could lead some to a letdown. The fifth-year senior gives a nod to Joe Litna — his coach at Hamden Hall — as well as Harbaugh for Michigan's contin- ued jackhammer approach. "I credit my high s c h o o l c o a c h ," Schoonmaker said. "We had a really good team in high school, and we had similar games to what we've had re- cently here. He said just to treat every game like it's the Super Bowl. "No matter what the team, just come out and do the same thing each week. Ev- erybody coming to play you is treating it like their Super Bowl. To have that level of preparation and focus, and to continue to have that level is key." Schoonmaker has it, and he's turning keys to unlock the sort of future Harbaugh forecast. ❏ Luke Schoonmaker wasn't all of his present 6-foot-6, 250 pounds when he performed at Hamden Hall Country Day School in Hamden, Conn. He still loomed large enough so that performing as a cornerback seemed out of the question. Still, Schoonmaker did precisely that, even picking off a few passes while towering over prep receivers. "We called it Schoon Island," Schoonmaker said with a laugh, on a recent podcast interview. "You come out there, and you're going to be stranded for a little bit. "Me playing cornerback, they wanted to keep me out of D-end or something of that sort, just to keep me healthy. They wanted me on both sides of the ball. I was athletic, and I tried corner, and it was fun, just to have the cornerback mentality and mindset and to bait receivers and know what the offense is doing and try and make a play." It's still a hard sell for those looking on these days. "I didn't know that," junior guard Zak Zinter marveled when told of Schoonmaker's past positions. "I don't know if I could see Schoon back there playing cornerback, but he's athletic enough. He could probably do it. I never pictured that before." "No, he does not strike me as a cornerback, in any way," Michigan radio play-by-play man Doug Karsch bluntly ob- served. "He strikes me as a power forward." Informed about "Schoon Island," Karsch chuckled. "That's funny, a great line," the radio voice of Michigan football said. "He's a likable kid, too." He's also been pretty darned good at his present and future position, Karsch pointed out. "He's been great," Karsch assessed. "That whole room has been great. Jim Harbaugh loves his tight ends. [Tight ends coach] Grant Newsome has done a great job, developing into a bright, young position coach." Newsome, Karsch opined, did an excellent job of crafting Schoonmaker's considerable football talent into a tight end ready for the greatest load. Schoonmaker inherited the bulk of that load when senior tight end Erick All succumbed to back surgery, and he reacted as well as anyone could have. "Schoony has got great size, he can run, reliable hands, can block," Karsch said. "He was the second guy. Clearly, Erick All was the guy. "But you talk about reasons why Michigan has been able to absorb injuries and remain undefeated and look like a playoff- caliber team? It's when a starter goes down with the potential and the ability of Erick All, and the next guy steps up and is that good. That's pretty huge. "You can't say enough about his contributions." When put on Schoon Island himself, the fifth-year senior didn't sink one bit. — John Borton Head coach Jim Harbaugh "He plays hard. He does everything the team asks him to do — blocks, runs good routes, catches the ball, makes the tough catch. He's made some diving catches. He's doing an outstanding job." 'Schoon Island' Raises A Few Eyebrows Around Wolverines