The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 27 BY JOHN BORTON Q uarterbacks haven't done a good job of making Chase Winovich miss this season. Away from the football field, it's Winovich himself that can't be missed. There's the mane of bright, blonde hair, bleached to a blinding hue. There's the effervescent personality, making the redshirt junior defensive end a compelling interview. And there are always surprises, like his participation in jiu-jitsu and ballet in the offseason, just to prepare himself for the rigors of Big Ten ac- tion. No question, Winovich is one unique Wolverine. "Both of them helped me," Winov- ich noted, regarding his supplemen- tal training endeavors. "Our winter workouts were way tougher than usual. We did a lot of testing. "I'm so competitive, I just wanted to win those drills; I'm trying to be first every day." He's been winning a lot, using in- creased balance, agility and strength to become one of the Big Ten's stand- out defensive linemen. At the midway point of the season, Winovich led the Wolverines in sacks (5.5) and tackles for loss (8.0), and stood second on the team in overall tackles (40). He was tied for 10th in the land for average sacks (0.92 per game) and tied for 30th nationally in average tackles for loss (1.3 per game). "I can see that," former U-M All- American offensive tackle Jon Jansen noted, regarding Winovich's gains. "I can see how it's paying off for him. He's got good balance, and his abil- ity to change directions … it's not always quickness and speed, but his balance. "To be able to center your weight and change direction is a huge ad- vantage for a defensive end." Jansen hasn't been around a bal- let class, and neither has sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary. But the latter wasn't a bit surprised when informed about that portion of his teammate's season preparation. "Chase would do something like that," Gary offered, with a grin. "That's interesting." Winovich has done plenty to ar- rive at a place of prominence with the Wolverines. He's a fireball in a winged helmet, and gaining momen- tum as the season rolls on. FIGHTING FOR CRUMBS Winovich didn't exactly come out of nowhere this season. He posted five sacks among 9.5 tackles for loss a year ago, rotating into a deep de- fensive line. His speed off the edge helped him secure 35 tackles and force a fumble as well. But he became relatively invisible in the preseason build-up, given all the attention paid to Gary and fifth- year senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr., a pair of redoubtable de- fenders themselves. Winovich shrugs that off, but he's also not unaware of the summer narrative. "I don't think people viewed me as the weak link, necessarily, but I definitely didn't feel like I had the respect," he said. "I think PFF [Pro Football Focus] rated me as the No. 2 returning person in pass rushing effi- ciency. You come out here and maybe earn more of that respect. "It's great, but none of that is pos- sible without my teammates. Mo Hurst and Rashan do a great job of handling their business, which makes my business possible in doing my job." Winovich stands as an interesting contrast. He exudes extreme compet- itiveness and confidence while read- ily acknowledging the tough road he's walked to get where he is. Since rolling west out of Jefferson Hills, Pa., Winovich served in the shadow- lands of the demonstration teams, been switched from linebacker to tight end and returned to join the defensive line. He finally started two games a year ago, in his third season with the pro- gram. All along the way, he hasn't stopped competing. He'll do that when offensive line- men go vegan. "As time goes on, no matter what I've done, whether it's checkers, chess, at Pinball Pete's down the street playing arcade games, I learn how my opponents play and how the game works," he said. "I feed off of it. I get energy. I start playing better. "I see their weaknesses, and I at- tack them. I exploit them." Having to compete so intensely honed those capabilities, Winovich noted. He recalls a time at Michigan when nobody was looking to quote his thoughts. He was battling just as hard, but it felt like nobody noticed. These days, it's different. "Every day for years I've been waking up scrapping for these crumbs that people have left for me," Winovich said. "I feel like for the first time, I have bread in front of me. I can just take a big bite out of the loaf." Winovich recalled his freshman year on the scout team. He proved the sort of player that regulars don't exactly welcome warmly, at least if they're looking to catch a breather. This rookie got after it, and if oth- ers didn't, he let them know about it. The scrapping had just begun. "I remember getting in a fight," Winovich said. "We had a safety at the time, and I can remember scream- ing at him: 'This is why you'll never play here!' He wasn't giving a lot of effort. "[Redshirt freshman] year comes around, and I'm a tight end, begging for a spot on special teams. I'm liter- ally begging Coach [John] Baxter. He was reluctant, but we had injuries, and I had like two tackles against Indiana. My [redshirt sophomore] year comes around, and I had like two plays at Iowa and I had a sack. Indiana, same thing, I had a passing pressure. Just scrapping. "I got my crumbs and I ate them, and I enjoyed those crumbs. But I always knew I was meant for more. My family always believed I'd have more as well." GIVING CHASE Chase Winovich Is Becoming A Force For Michigan's Defense After U-M's first six games, Winovich was tied for first in the Big Ten and 10th nationally with an average of 0.92 sacks per game. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN