The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503142
52 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CHRIS BALAS B lake Corum didn't want to ac- cept it when the unthinkable happened on a cold, blustery, Saturday in mid-November last year, but his right knee was telling him the truth nobody else wanted to ac- knowledge, either … Something was seriously wrong. A helmet-to-knee hit by an Illinois de- fender left the junior back and Heisman Trophy candidate writhing in pain on the opposing sideline, clutching his knee while the 100,000-plus in the crowd at Michigan Stadium fell silent in disbelief. For many backs, the story would have ended with an ice pack, a trip to the hospital, a surgery and rest. But Corum … well, he's no ordinary back, and he wouldn't accept that as his fate. After doctors cleared him to return, he ran back out of the tunnel for the second half to a huge ovation from the stunned observers. He would only run a few more times before shutting it down, but his teammates pulled out a 19-17 win in his absence to keep their undefeated season alive heading into a showdown at No. 2 Ohio State the following week. For a week, Corum prepared with the hopeful intention of slaying their rivals on their turf in another huge game. Outwardly, he expressed confidence that he'd be good to go in Columbus, giving the Buckeyes and their coaches something to think about and prepare for. Inside, though, he realized it was going to take something out of the ordinary to allow him to play — in fact, he felt it. "It was in warm-ups before the game. I knew, but I wasn't really going to show it," Corum admitted. "That first carry, I knew I wasn't going to be able to cut. The second carry finished it off." While he was "full of joy" watching his backfield brother Donovan Edwards rip off two long touchdown runs to ice the Buck- eyes, watching the last three games — es- pecially the loss to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl — was excruciating. And yet Corum, as he seems to in ev- ery situation in football and life, some- how found the positive. His teammates and coaches marvel at his outlook, and his words demonstrate why. "It was definitely tough, but it was also a good experience," Corum said. "Through- out this whole journey I've been on, from being a Heisman hopeful to needing sur- gery and then coming back … it's been a good journey. "But not being able to be out there with my teammates that Ohio State game … that hurt. Watching the Big Ten Championship Game out in California after surgery, that hurt. I drove to Arizona from California after surgery, and then seeing them down and not being able to do anything about it … that hurt, too." Not to mention he was on pace to be a Heisman Trophy finalist and, potentially, Michigan's all-time single-season rushing leader. He finished with 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns in his 10.5 games —Tshimanga Biakabutuka had 1,818 in 1995 — and he ranked among the top 10 nationally with 121.92 rushing yards per game. His yardage total ranked eighth in school history and his 18 touchdowns tied for third. Corum rushed for 100-plus yards and a touchdown in eight consecutive games, tying him for sixth in Michigan history in single-season 100-yard games, and his four 150-yard games tied him for fifth. Some NFL Draft analysts still projected him as a second- or third-round pick even after his injury. But in the back of his mind, two words continued to creep in: "Unfinished business." Advice From His Coach — And A Decision For weeks, Corum struggled with the reality that his Michigan legacy might not end on his terms. The "what ifs" were especially tough to rectify after the Wol- verines fell to TCU in a contest in which the U-M running game failed to generate much after Edwards' 53-yard carry on the first play. While his teammates practiced, Corum spent his time in the weight room with strength coach Ben Herbert bulking up and becoming a 222-pound brick. He be- came even more committed to his work- outs — amazing given how dedicated he'd already been, one of the best head coach Jim Harbaugh said he'd ever seen — and contemplated his future. Returning for one more year might have been a risk, but he couldn't shake the feeling it was the right move. "I was back and forth for a long time after I got hurt," Corum said. "Not being able to go to the combine — something I've dreamed of since I was a kid —that was something that definitely affected me. But more so, being there at the TCU game, I realized, 'we're so close.' If I would have been there with how close we were …" He leaned on his family for advice, and they were all in his corner no matter what he decided. When he approached Har- baugh before his surgery, though, he got some surprising advice. "Coach Harbaugh said to get the sur- gery and go," Corum recalled with a chuckle. "I said, 'Coach — what would you do?' He said, 'If I were you, I'd go to the league.' This was before I even thought about coming back, because I was going. I thought it was a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity." UNFINISHED BUSINESS Disappointed In How His And The Wolverines' Seasons Ended Last Year, Unanimous All-America Running Back Blake Corum Is Back For His Senior Campaign According to Pro Football Focus, Corum had 22 rushes of 15-plus yards last season, and 40.9 per- cent of his total rushing yards came on those 22 carries for what PFF calls 'breakaway percentage.' He also was PFF's highest-rated running back in 2022 with a 96.2 percent overall grade. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN