The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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perience such as redshirt sophomore cornerback Blake Countess and junior cornerback Raymon Taylor excelled. The coaching staff was surprised at how quickly younger guys such as sophomore safety Jarrod Wilson and redshirt freshman safety Jeremy Clark were progressing. "Tom spent so much time with us this summer," Clark said. "After workouts, he would get us all together, and he would run drills with us and everything, he talked about the playbook with us, watched film with us. He did whatever he could to help us out. It feels good to rely on Thomas. It's a great feeling to know that you have him in your corner, always." "In the past, he didn't talk a lot, always led by example," added secondary coach Curt Mallory. "He feels more comfortable now. He's talking, and when he speaks, these kids listen. They have a lot of respect for him. He does a great job of helping the other guys." Despite losing Kovacs and cornerback J.T. Floyd, two multi-year starters who were critical to Michigan's success against the pass last season, the defensive backfield, with Gordon at the helm, looks poised for a big season. Winning The Turnover Battle If this season is to be considered a success, the secondary has to be much more disruptive around the ball. In 2012, the Wolverines tallied just seven interceptions and 12 forced fumbles. The secondary was responsible for five of the picks and three of the forced fumbles. That simply is not enough. "We have made a big emphasis on them," Mallory said. "We have kept track of any turnovers that we have