The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/859588
SEPTEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 29 No. 20 — C Pat Kugler Kugler has pushed through four years of Michi- gan football, amid various frustrations and dramatic changes. For him, another dramatic change may be about to unfold. In those four seasons, Kugler has appeared in 10 games and started once, at left guard in last year's opener against Hawai'i. But coming out of spring foot- ball, it looked like he'd seized control of the all-impor- tant center position. Returning starter Mason Cole played there last year, but a need at left tackle directed him back to where he began his career. That left a hole in the middle and the need for someone to plug it. Enter Kugler, the son of a coach (UTEP head man Sean Kugler), who talked about ramping up his prepa- ration efforts and dedication to getting the job done with his time at Michigan rapidly drawing to a close. He's spent two seasons under Jim Harbaugh and of- fensive line coach Tim Drevno, and wants to make a difference as a fifth-year senior. Kugler indicated he's even gotten a conditioning boost from yoga, which Harbaugh incorporated for some upon learning of its benefits. "Flexibility has probably been the main issue with me throughout my years, and it's really helped me be able to get under defensive linemen," Kugler noted. "I was a big waist-bender, and it's a bad habit I'm still working on sometimes. Yoga and a lot of different things we're doing here are helping with that. "There were a couple of us doing it on our own. Coach Harbaugh heard about it, loved it and now they've got yoga in here for us. I haven't seen him out there yet, but that would be a great thing." — John Borton Photo by Per Kjeldsen