The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN IN THE PROS pick to play in the NFL given his size (6-1), but like he did at Michigan, Molk is rising to the task. He's in a great situation, he said, learning from Hardwick. "This is a great year for me to re- Few expected the seventh-round ally learn and take in some things that I haven't seen before," he said. "It gives me time to grasp what the NFL brings and the pace of play. It's almost like a redshirt in college, I guess. At the same time, it's still cut- throat NFL." TO TRAINING CAMP HEALTHY AND READY TO PLAY LEON HALL REPORTS back and current Cincinnati stand- out Leon Hall, coming off Achilles heel surgery following a devastating injury suffered last November, re- ported to the Bengals' camp in late July cleared to play. Hall took it easy in the first few days of camp, but he's since gotten back up to speed. "I felt rusty for sure, but the Achil- As hoped, former Michigan corner- Despite missing the final seven games of the 2011 season due to an Achilles tear, Hall tied for second on team in interceptions (two) and was second in passes defended (10). PHOTO COURTESY CINCINNATI BENGALS les felt fine," he told the Associated Press. "I was able to move and cut and break, but my technique needs work. "I've been pretty much cleared to do everything. We're still going to kind of monitor how many [plays] I get in a row, but it will be easier now that there is only one practice a day. It's now me practicing as much as I can. I'm pretty much full-go." The Bengals got off to a great start throughout his career, most recently spending time with the San Fran- cisco 49ers last season. A knee injury ended his season and eventually led to his release, leading him to take some time off. Edwards recently found a home in Seattle with the Seahawks, anxious to prove he's got plenty of good football left in him. "I like what they've got going on out here. Just walking and talking to these guys when I came on an in- terview last year, it's a high-positive last year with Hall in the lineup, but went only 3-6 after he went down, losing at Houston in an AFC wild card game. The defense has high ex- pectations this year with him in the lineup. "Leon is one of the best competi- organization," Edwards told the Associated Press. "There is a lot of positivity and you can see the en- ergy these guys have. These guys are happy to come out here and play for coach [Pete] Carroll and their posi- tion coaches, and it seems like they have the thing moving in the right direction." Edwards' best season came in 2007, when he caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns for Cleveland. He played in only nine games for San Francisco last year, catching 15 passes for 181 yards and no touchdowns before being released in December. "Braylon worked out really well for us [in July], and we had him in mind as a guy that could help us if we had a shot to get him in here," Carroll said. "He responded to it well. I know he is a very aggressive football player." Schwartz told The Detroit News. Backus added it wasn't serious. HEADLINERS Adrian Arrington • NFL tors I've ever had, that I've ever coached," Bengals defensive coor- dinator Mike Zimmer said. "He's a great competitor. He's a tough guy. He's smart. He wants to go out and challenge people all the time. "His mentality helps a lot of the younger guys. I know that a lot of the other guys, when he's out there they feel like 'Hey, this guy's got him. We don't have to worry about him.'" Former Michigan receiver Bray- lon Edwards has been a journeyman BRAYLON EDWARDS SIGNS WITH SEATTLE The fourth-year pro, still with the New Orleans Saints, suffered a meniscus tear in his knee after getting off to a great start in train- ing camp and had surgery in mid-August. The Saints have not given a timetable for his return. Matt Hunwick • NHL Hunwick, a defenseman, inked a two-year deal this summer, good through the 2013-14 season, to remain with the Colorado Avalanche. Hunwick played in 33 games last year, notching six points. ter starts of the season, holding the Chicago Cubs to five singles and no runs in going the distance in a 2-0 win. Richard struck out five in the complete game victory Aug. 8. Clayton Richard • MLB The San Diego Padres lefty improved to 9-11 with one of his bet- SEPTEMBER 2012 THE WOLVERINE 95 Former Michigan athletes in the news this month has battled some injuries in camp with the Detroit Lions, having played with a cast on his broken thumb and missing another practice (Aug. 14) with a back injury. Backus isn't expected to miss any games, however, preseason or oth- erwise. He currently enjoys a streak of 175 consecutive regular-season starts. "His back was tight so we just shut him down for the day," Lions head coach Jim • Former Michigan tackle Jeff Backus NFL NOTES