The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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ing at the strong safety spot in 2013. At free safety, Wilson, who had eight tackles and a fumble recovery in reserve duty last year, has stood out since an impressive showing at spring practice. "Jarrod's really excited, because he knows what's on the table," Gordon said. "It's his job to lose; that's basically how it is. This whole summer, he has been going at it. He's been doing a ton of extra work, and he's picking my head with questions and things like that." Gordon said Wilson reminds him of himself when he was a young player — constantly asking questions, always trying to understand how and why drills, plays and exercises are done the way they're done. "He has a quick learning curve," Gordon said. "He's a great player, and he has made some really big plays in practice." Wilson, 6-2, 200, has excelled at the free safety spot. "I like being the deep-middle safety, being able to cover sideline to side- line," Wilson said. "I'm tall and fast, so I think that spot uses my abilities. I like being able to help the corners whenever I can, staying on top of everything." Clark and freshman Delano Hill have also impressed Mallory. Wilson has put in the time and effort to learn — and become comfortable with — the strong safety position, too. The responsibilities are similar, though the strong safety may be more active in the box and aiding in the run game. "You don't want to be predictable," Mallory said. "You want to be able to have those guys be interchangeable, so you're not always blitzing the same one or bringing the same one down inside the box. You want to keep the offense in check. The more you have guys who know both positions, the better. There will be situations where we're going fast, there's not time to switch, so you can look at each other and say, 'OK, you stay over there,' and have confidence that everyone can do what is needed of them." ❏ Notable Players Who Have Returned From Season-Ending Injury The Michigan secondary is welcoming redshirt sophomore Blake Countess back into the fold this season. Countess, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the 2012 season opener against Alabama, hasn't suited up for a game in almost a year — but he is back to 100 percent and eager to get back on the field. Here are a few notable examples of Wolverines who suffered season-ending injuries and later returned to the field. • Troy Woolfolk, defensive back: After earning starts in all 12 games of the 2009 season, Woolfolk was looking forward to a promising senior season in 2010. Unfortunately a "serious leg injury" during an August practice put him in an enormous cast and sidelined him for the entire season.