The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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real work. I'm the flashy guy. Those guys do all the tough jobs." He also noted he'll be the first in his family to graduate from a four-year college, and reaffirmed the football effort all gave: "Some of the things Coach Hoke always talked about were trust, respect, accountability and commitment. Team 133 showed those. Even though we didn't accomplish our goal to win the Big Ten, I know that we fought every game we stepped out on the field." Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Patrick Omameh garnered the Dr. Arthur D. Robinson Scholarship Award, signifying the top senior scholar on the squad. Omameh is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, and he earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference coaches this season. "This is an outstanding man," U-M assistant coach Dan Ferrigno noted. "Some of the things he's done in our community … I could go on and on. This is a special guy." Kovacs "It's been an honor to play for this university. It was a dream come true when I first walked on. That's how I approached it, day in and day out." Redshirt junior offensive tackle Taylor Lewan earned the Hugh H. Rader Jr. Memorial Award as Michigan's best offensive lineman. The three-year starter was named the Big Ten's Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year this season. Redshirt sophomore Jake Ryan captured the Roger Zatkoff Award as Michigan's best linebacker. Ryan U-M linebackers coach Mark Smith presented redshirt sophomore Jake Ryan with the Roger Zatkoff Award, given to Michigan's best linebacker. Photo by Per Kjeldsen earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media after posting a career-best 84 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, four forced fumbles and three passes broken up. U-M linebackers coach Mark Smith left no doubt about how he felt regarding Ryan's breakthrough season: "He was named to the All-Big Ten second team, which is bull," Smith said. "He should have been first team." Senior defensive end Craig Roh took home the Richard Katcher Award as Michigan's top defensive lineman. Roh has tied Jon Jansen for the school record with 50 starts, and he posted 36 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks this season. While the awards are very meaningful, Hoke noted, they're not the end for the recipients. "Their work is not done," Hoke cautioned. "We are excited and very happy to be playing together one more time as Team 133. The players are anxious to give these seniors the right way to exit Michigan football — that's to win. "They're going down to Tampa to win. The only way we're going to do that is the preparation we put in as a football team. We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to go down and play a team out of the SEC, a team that has 10 wins, two losses, in South Carolina. "I can tell you one thing about this group of guys, this football team. They will go down to Tampa with a mission. That's to win for Michigan." ❑ Special Crew Honored At Football Bust The 2012 Wolverines weren't the only ones feted at Michigan's annual Football Bust. Some groundbreaking (and sometimes heartbreaking) Wolverines also got their due. Members of Michigan's 1972-74 squads were introduced. Although they went 30-2-1 over the course of those three seasons, they never reached a bowl game. U-M athletics director David Brandon, who lettered on the '73 squad, noted those teams paved the way for the Big Ten allowing multiple schools to participate in bowl games. In all three of those years, the Wolverines' season ended with the Ohio State game — losses at Columbus in 1972 (14-11) and 1974 (12-10), and the infamous 10-10 tie in 20 the wolverine January 2013 1973 at Ann Arbor, after which Big Ten athletic directors voted the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl. Bo Schembechler never forgot or forgave that act, based partly on Michigan quarterback Dennis Franklin's broken collarbone in that contest. U-M head coach Brady Hoke called on his coordinators to pay close attention to the numbers those teams posted. "I hope Coach Mattison and Coach Borges [were paying attention]," Hoke quipped. "Allowing 56 points in a season? That's what I'm talking about. And [scoring] over 300? So, we'll talk later about that. That's pretty incredible." — John Borton