The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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PLAYER BIOS ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ STATISTICS Year Tackles TFL Sacks 2023 38 2 0.5 2022 46 10.5 7 2021 31 2 1 HONORS • Tabbed as a Division I first-team all-state defen- sive lineman by the Ohio High School Athle c Associa on. • A two- me All-Greater Catholic League South first-team honoree (2022-23). • Also received All-Midwest Region recogni on by PrepStar (2023). • Helped his team to a 7-5 record and regional quarterfinal appearance in the Division I Ohio high school playoffs as a senior. RECRUITMENT • Commi ed to Michigan Jan. 25, 2023. • Chose the Wolverines over offers from Iowa, Cincinna , Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Purdue, Minnesota, Rutgers, Washington and others. • Primarily recruited by former defensive line coach Mike Elston. DID YOU KNOW? • Set to enroll at U-M this summer. • He also competed in basketball, baseball and swimming in high school. • Son of Chris and Connie Hammond. • Born June 28, 2005. THEY SAID IT Cincinna -Area Trainer Nick Staderman of Black Sheep Performance: "Being able to show that he can play both interior and outside is going to be huge. That's also going to be huge for him when he gets to the next level because you never know where you might end up. You could start as an edge guy, put on 60 pounds, and be strictly a nose guard. So that's going to help out mentally for Ted early on." TED HAMMOND DEFENSIVE LINEMAN 6-5 • 265 ST. XAVIER HIGH CINCINNATI RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ 443 42 15 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 41 20 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 53 17 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 31 20 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 31 20 INDUSTRY BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Defensive lineman Ted Hammond committed to Michigan in January 2023, leading to a mixed bag of a reaction from his hometown of Cincinnati. "'No Ohio State? You didn't want to go to Ohio State? Were they even recruit- ing you?'" Hammond said of what people asked him. "I was like, 'I could get an offer to Ohio State, [but] I still don't want to go to Ohio State. I want to go to Michigan.'" Michigan has long had success with athletes from the state of Ohio, either with players who had a chip on their shoul- der after not being recruited as heavily by the Buckeyes or those who were breaking down the doors to play for the Wolverines. Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, Jake Butt, Rod Moore, Trey Burke, Caris LeVert and countless others fall into one category or the other. Hammond is one of four 2024 sign- ees headed to Michigan from the Buck- eye State, joining four-star running back Jordan Marshall and three-star offensive linemen Luke Hamilton and Ben Roebuck. The group has already forged a tight bond. "They're already my best friends," Hammond said. "It helps me rest my mind knowing that I have people in my corner, I have people to talk to when I'm going to Michigan." They'll look to help continue Michigan's dominance in the rivalry with the Buck- eyes, having won the last three meetings. Hammond is a hard-nosed defensive lineman with versatility. He played five- technique as a junior but slid inside to eat up double- and triple-teams — doing the dirty work — as a nose guard his senior season, registering 38 tackles. Hammond was on hand for the Wol- verines' 30-24 win over Ohio State and their 26-0 victory over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship game last season. He watched U-M closely all year, inspired and motivated by the level of play of the defensive line. Two things that stood out were Kenneth Grant running down Penn State running back Kaytron Allen 30 yards down the field and Mason Graham domi- nating games even with a club on his hand. "Both of those instances show the ef- fort and attitude that Michigan football brings," Hammond said. "That shows that they're going to knock you around, they're going to do it every single play. … I can't wait to be a part of those guys." Hammond, who's set to play baseball with his St. Xavier team this spring before enrolling at Michigan, gave a speech to his high school football team every Thursday this past season. The message he'd often end with was, "It's not about how much you hate that other team, it's about how you want to play for your teammates.'" That embodies Hammond's own mental- ity, and it's contagious. "I'm not going to let my teammates down this play. I'm not going to let them down the next play," Hammond said. "I'm never going to let them down." The 6-5, 265-pounder isn't hard to find, and he's solely focused on being great. "I've been blessed with this oppor- tunity, and I'm never going to take it for granted," Hammond explained. "I'm going to give 100 percent effort in everything I do. My academics, I'm never going to falter in that. I'm also never going to falter on the field. I'm never going to miss a lift. I'm never going to miss a film session. I'm going to dedicate my life to becoming the best football player I can be." ❑ Ohio Defensive Lineman Ted Hammond Headed Due North Hammond was selected as a Division I All-Ohio first-team defensive lineman as a senior at Cincinnati St. Xavier. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY 2024 Projection Despite being listed by U-M at 265 pounds, Hammond said in December that he was up to 285. He's currently working on improving his speed, but he might also have to add weight. Hammond has posi onal flexibility, and there's no telling what posi on he'll end up at along the defensive line. It may take some me to get his body where it needs to be for whatever spot he ends up playing, so a redshirt is likely in 2024. MARCH 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 53