The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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62 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2023 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE F ormer Michigan outside linebacker Josh Uche, a 2020 second-round pick by the New England Patriots, had just 4 career sacks entering the 2022 campaign. His 2021 season was deci- mated by an injury that placed him on injured reserve in mid-November. He dealt with a foot issue and played in only nine games during his rookie campaign. Despite flashing potential, Uche hadn't been able to put it all together. "Coming into this year, I definitely had some frustrations," Uche said re- cently. "I just wanted to have some suc- cess. So, I treated it like my time back at Michigan." He trained with U-M strength coach Ben Herbert during the offseason, stayed persistent and has seen the hard work pay off over the last seven games. It was reminiscent of his time with the Wolverines, too. He appeared in just five games during his first two collegiate seasons and didn't make an impact until he was an upperclassman. Uche didn't have a sack this year until Week 8, but he has had at least a half- sack in all but one contest since — in- cluding a pair of 3-sack performances, versus the Indianapolis Colts Nov. 6 and against the Arizona Cardinals Dec. 12. He's the only player in the league with multiple 3-sack games this year and is quietly tied for 10th in the NFL with 10.5 total sacks. "I told y'all I wasn't our best pass rusher," fellow Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon said after the Cardi- nals game, a 27-13 Monday night vic- tory. "Our best pass rusher is emerging. People are going to have to block him. If they don't, and they chip my side and worry about me, Uche will do that every week. "I love the way he's playing with con- fidence and poise, and this is the most he's played since he's been in the NFL. It's taken a toll on him, but he's gone out there and he's had a lot of success." Judon and Uche became the first pair of teammates to reach double-digit sacks in the NFL this season. Uche is still chasing more success, though, knowing he has a way to go even after this outstanding stretch of play. "I'm not satisfied," the former U-M standout said. FORMER WOLVERINES IN THE NFL Through Dec. 19 • Daylen Baldwin (Played at U-M in 2021), WR, Cleveland Browns Called up from the practice squad ahead of a matchup with the Baltimore Ravens Dec. 17 … Caught 2 passes for 25 yards in the 6-8 Browns' 13-3 win. • Tom Brady (1995-99), QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Leads the league with 411 comple- After going sackless through the first seven weeks of the season, Uche has racked up 10.5 sacks and was tied for 10th in the NFL in that category through Week 15. PHOTO COURTESY NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS/ERIC J. ADLER MICHIGAN IN THE PROS Josh Uche Is One Of The NFL's Second-Half Stars