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After missing all but three games last season due to a foot injury, Michigan sophomore wide receiver Tarik Black is back on the field and is fully healthy.
“I haven’t played football in six months, so I’d say there was a little bit [of rust], not too much,” Black said. “Maybe after a day or two of practice I was straight. Came back and have just been doing what I do.”
He says he wasn’t fully healthy until just before spring practices began, and that while he could’ve played in the bowl game, he wouldn’t have been 100 percent healthy. Playing him wouldn’t have made much sense for Michigan, since Black should be able to get another year of eligibility with a medical redshirt.
Black said there was a little bit of a mental hurdle in his first day of practice, but that once he made it to day two he was good to go. He says he’s already back into playing shape and could step onto the field tomorrow for a game.
“It was very difficult [missing the final 10 games],” Black said. “Not being able to go out there and help your team, it was hard. I don’t know if there’s any other way to put it.”
While injured, Black spent his time studying defense and doing whatever he could to improve. He worked a lot with his friend and roommate, fellow sophomore wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.
“When I was out I watched a lot of film, took a lot of mental reps and I think that helps when it comes to reading defenses and things like that,” Black said. “That’s what you need to do as a receiver to get open.”
Reading defenses has gotten easier for him, and he’s anxious for the season to arrive so he can show his development in games. He still feels he needs to prove himself, even after a strong start to last year, where he caught 11 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.
“I always feel like that, no matter how good my performance is, I still feel like I have to prove myself,” Black said. “I always keep a chip on my shoulder.”
The wide receivers have two new coaches working with them this spring, wide receivers coach Jim McElwain and graduate assistant Roy Roundtree, a former U-M receiver.
“[McElwain’s] been great. He’s brought a positive energy into the receiver room that I think we really needed,” Black said. “He’s been coaching us every day really hard. He’s been great, I like him a lot.”
Getting open and creating more passing lanes for the quarterbacks has been an emphasis this spring for the pass-catchers. Black said a year ago, he mainly was just out there running around and doing his thing.
He and the rest of the group feel like the receivers should’ve been better last year. Having the two new coaches has been helping already.
“[Roundtree’s] really good because he’s young,” Black said. “He didn’t stop playing football [until recently], he’s more relatable in the receiver room than anyone since he just stopped playing. He can definitely demonstrate anything he wants us to do, he can still run routes, release off the ball and things like that. It’s good to see that.
“I just want to be the best receiver I can for our team and help us win games. That’s all it’s about, winning games.”
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