Under head coach Jim Harbaugh, Michigan has been one of the few teams in college football to feature a fullback.
The Wolverines used two of them on a regular basis in 2017 — Henry Poggi and Khalid Hill — and the former explained to NFL scouts at U-M’s Pro Day that even though it’s a bit of a dying breed, he feels he has a lot to offer at the next level.
“I told teams I’m a fullback, but I can also play special teams,” he explained. “I also showed them I can run some routes as a tight end, and I’d even play d-line if they want me to. I would do anything for a team.”
Poggi’s versatility has partly been the result of the numerous position changes he endured during his time at Michigan.
The Baltimore native actually came to Ann Arbor as a top 100 defensive tackle, before eventually moving to tight end, and then finally to fullback.
“One NFL guy asked me why I moved over to the dark side — from defense to offense,” he laughed. “I told him it was a business decision, and that I still have some defense left in me.”
Poggi mainly showcased his offensive abilities during the Pro Day, though, running several different pass-catching patterns.
“I just ran routes, and didn’t do any position-specific drills,” he explained. “I’m happy I won’t have to worry about how fast I can run the 40 again — it’s nice to have that part of it done with.
“I don’t know what my official time was, but I think I did pretty well. I was shooting for a 4.8, and I think I hit it, so I’m pretty pumped.”
Poggi revealed he’d put in extra training over the past few weeks to get ready for yesterday’s Pro Day, and while players often go elsewhere nowadays to train, he said Michigan was the perfect place for him.
“I trained right here in Ann Arbor,” he said. “Michigan is so great for it. They brought in a guy who was one of the best in the business to work with us. I went through the process with [linebacker] Mike Wroblewski, and [defensive tackle] Mo Hurst also came and worked out with us.”
Many of the questions surrounding yesterday's Pro Day involved Hurst’s heart condition, and Poggi shared his thoughts on how his former teammate performed.
“Mo did great,” he insisted. “I think they tried to get him pretty tired and put his heart to the test — he passed with flying colors though. Whichever team gets him is going to be very lucky. He actually went through the same issue his freshman year here, so I think this was just precautionary.
“We have the best doctors in the country, so the University obviously wouldn’t have allowed him to play if it would’ve been anything serious. It did kind of stink for him, because he would’ve done so well at the combine. Hopefully he’ll still get the recognition he deserves."
While Hurst explained he wasn’t ever really nervous while dealing with the issue, Poggi said he was terrified simply trying to sell himself to NFL teams.
“Yeah, there were nerves,” he laughed. “It’s a lot different than the recruiting process. Schools try to impress you during that, but this is different because you try to impress them. I’m happy this process is over, and I’m excited for what’s next.”
The Baltimore native also insisted Michigan fans will be excited to see what’s next at fullback on next year's team.
“[Sophomore] Ben Mason will be killing people, and it’ll be fun to watch,” he laughed. “He’s going to crush guys. Expect some big hits that will be heard throughout the stadium.”
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