The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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A s someone who has dedi- cated his life to the game of football, Michigan head coach Brady Hoke under- stands and loves competition. Hoke doesn't have to wait until BY ANDY REID Sept. 1, when the Wolverines square off against defending national cham- pion Alabama on opening weekend, to see a few battles. Several spots on Michigan's two- deep depth chart are still up for grabs, including offensive left guard — where fifth-year senior Elliott Mealer and redshirt sophomore Joey Burzynski are locked in a heated race to the finish line. The rest of the offensive line is al- ready in place: redshirt junior left tackle Taylor Lewan, who has tallied 22 starts; fifth-year senior right guard Patrick Omameh, whose 30th career start will come versus the Crimson Tide; fifth-year senior center Ricky Barnum; and redshirt junior right tackle Michael Schofield, who filled the now-vacated left guard spot last year. more player, to arise before the Wol- verines leave for Dallas. And, right now, the spot is still up for grabs. "It's a tough situation to talk about That leaves just one last piece, one because both players are just as ca- pable as the other one," Lewan said. "It's a good problem to have, two guys that are just as capable of being in there and playing next to you, and I've got just about as many reps with each of them. "We have confidence in whoever plays. I know the coaches wouldn't put a guy on the field unless they knew he was ready. So if the coaches trust him, I'm just as ready to play with him." of a starting position at the Univer- sity of Michigan began, in many ways, in the back of his parents' minivan — when he was just a small child on his way to soccer practice. Burzynski's wild ride to the brink STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT Joey Burzynski, a redshirt sophomore walk- on who spent the past two years on the scout team, has established himself as one of the hardest-working members of U-M's offen- sive line and is coming off a strong spring. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Peggy, graduated from Michigan and have maintained a diehard allegiance to the Wolverines, even though they have since moved to Carlsbad, Calif. When William would drive Burzynski to soccer, he would blare old recordings of legendary Mich- igan radio announcer Bob Ufer or tapes of the Michigan Marching Band over the car stereo, pumping up little Joey. "I was raised a Wolverine, and Both of his parents, William and when I got into school, I knew right away that this is where I wanted to come," Burzynski said. "I still wanted to play football, so I figured I'd try walking on. took notice of Burzynski's willing- ness — and eagerness — to learn ev- erything he could about the offensive line. He played right and left guard, and then he picked up center, all the while eating up any tidbit of infor- mation the coaches or upperclassmen could lend him about his technique. By the spring of 2012, Burzynski Meanwhile, the Michigan coaches The Wolverines Are Still Waiting For Their Starting Left Guard To Emerge From Fall Camp DOWN TO THE WIRE team, but it never really hit me that it would come true. It's been crazy. Putting on the uniform the first time was amazing. I don't know how to describe it. There are no real words, because it is something I've imagined my entire life. I've watched Michigan games since I was a baby, and to real- ize that you're part of that now — it's just incredible." Burzynski made the cut, and for "I dreamed about making the his first two years, he went all out on the scout team, engaging in daily battles with defensive tackle Mike Martin, who was a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Looking back at his progression, Burzynski says he owes a lot to Martin. Those scout team sessions against the standout defensive line- man made Burzynski a better, more technically sound player. "You really can't make a mistake against him," Burzynski said. "Play- ing scout against him, that was the biggest thing, because he is probably the best defensive tackle you could compete with." "Joey is a great kid and a hard worker, and he listens to everything that he is told to do. He does it to the letter, and I noticed that in 2011," Michigan offensive line coach Darrell Funk said. "But this spring, when I was grading guys every day, we just started saying, 'Geez, Burzynski, every day, is grading out higher than any guard.' He may not be 6-6, 320 pounds, but he gets the job done. It's about production." Burzynski is listed, perhaps gener- had established himself as one of the hardest-working members of the of- fensive line. And then a funny thing happened. Although he's not as physically im- posing or as strong as the other mem- bers of the unit, Burzynski began to outperform many of them in practice. ously, at 6-1, 295. "I'm pretty smart, so I always know what I'm doing," he added. "I play with really good leverage, and part of that is just because I'm shorter than most guys down there. "But I am able to get under people, even though I don't have the proto- typical size or maybe the strength. That's how I can run block and push people back. Other than that, it's just staying disciplined and playing with good technique." Funk compared Burzynski to an- other undersized lineman: former Michigan center David Molk, who SEPTEMBER 2012 THE WOLVERINE 39