The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/230001
MICHIGAN FOOTBALL people. I have a class where I wrote a midterm about my experience. My girlfriend is from Commerce Township, so hanging out with her family and seeing how different people interact has been a terrific experience. Looking back on it now, it's was interesting." The Wolverine: On the field, the team's records weren't always what you'd want, but what kind of growth have you seen in the program? Dileo: "My freshman year, our record wasn't great. We had good athletes, but the team wasn't together. The coaching staff wasn't together, and certainly the players and the coaches weren't really together. In my sophomore year, we went to the Sugar Bowl, and that was a great season. In the last two years, we still haven't met the standard that Coach Hoke has set of going to the Rose Bowl. The one thing we seniors have done is let the underclassmen know, 'It's fun to go to bowl games, but it's more fun to win the Big Ten championship and go to the Rose Bowl.' I haven't done it. I hope these underclassIn the regular season, Dileo pulled in 14 recep- men can." The Wolverine: Do you think tions for 165 yards and two touchdowns, and he you guys have laid a foundation also served as the holder on special teams. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN for that kind of future? Dileo: "Without a doubt. It is on the upswing. Not that it was down, but you look at the recruits Coach Hoke is bringing in, a bunch of bigger, stronger, faster guys, and this is what the program needs. Coach Hoke did a great job his first year, and he is going to continue to do a great job." The Wolverine: You mentioned the Sugar Bowl briefly. For a Louisiana guy, what was that experience like? Dileo: "I'm using this word a lot, but it was special. It was fun for me, because I had about 50 family and friends there. It was unbelievable. I'm excited for Taylor Lewan. Coach Hoke said we're practicing at his old high school. It will be fun for me to see him and his family go through the same experience I did in Louisiana. His mom is trying to get 100 tickets, and realistically, he might need that many." — Andy Reid