Michigan Wolverines head football coach Jim Harbaugh discussed the start of fall camp so far on today's 'Attack Each day' podcast, providing several updates on individual players' lean muscle mass and the strides they've made.
Co-hosts Eric Sollenberger (PFT Commenter) and Dan Katz (Big Cat) of the 'Pardon my Take' podcast also joined the segment to provide some comic relief.
We have the highlights below:
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Jim Harbaugh, Discussing Fall Camp so far:
"We've had five practices and have been sharp. Guys are in great shape and [strength and conditioning coach] Ben Herbert and his staff have set the table for us to do what we're doing. The guys are strong and in shape.
"[Fifth-year senior defensive end] Mike Danna even gained 16 pounds of lean muscle mass and lost two pounds of fat.
"[Freshman defensive tackle] Mazi Smith lost a good 25 pounds of fat and [freshman defensive end] David Ojabo put on close to 20 pounds of lean muscle mass, and looks as good as anyone who has ever walked through the door as a freshman.
"Our practices have all been ascending and we're getting ready for Day 5 now — it's our challenge for the team to keep pedaling uphill, because that's how you gain separation from opponents.
"We're trying to keep things simple: be great at football.
"Practices No. 6-9 will have some scrimmaging embedded into them, but we don't have practices that are completely dedicated to scrimmaging.
"One of my goals is to enjoy this training camp as much as anybody on the squad.
"We monitor the depth chart every day and get together as a staff every night at 10 PM, and every guy is analyzed.
"[Redshirt freshman right tackle] Jalen Mayfield and [redshirt sophomore right tackle] Andrew Stueber are both really battling. Jalen kind of surged the last day and a half, but Stueber had before that.
"It means a lot to both of them, and it will probably take 19 or 20 of the 25 practices to determine who the right tackle will be.
"The young guys at the punt gunner position have surged and seized, but to have gunners with the kind of speed that [freshman wideout] Giles Jackson, [freshman safety] Dax Hill and [freshman receiver] Cornelius Johnson have is showing up right now."
'Pardon my Take' Co-Host Eric Sollenberger:
"We created an award last year for the nation's top fullback, and the finalists were [Michigan's] Ben Mason, [Wisconsin's] Alec Ingold and [Army's] Darnell Woolfolk, and I think the best man won [Mason].
"The prize was a tire with a beer can nailed into it."
Jim Harbaugh, When Asked if he Still Gets Chills Walking Down the Michigan Stadium Tunnel:
"Oh yeah. My mouth gets very dry and I can't talk, just thinking about everything.
"Then there's that moment when you run out of that tunnel and touch the banner, and it doesn't get any better than that.
"It had to be what gladiators felt like — you're in a room underneath the stadium and you can feel the verberations of what's all above you, and then you come out..."
Jack Harbaugh, Recalling When Bo Schembechler Found out Ohio State had Fired Woody Hayes:
"Woody Hayes had just been fired from Ohio State after the Clemson game, and we were at the Rose Bowl getting ready to play Southern Cal. None of us knew about Woody yet at that point.
"We had a meeting the next morning and I saw Bo sitting at the end of the table crying.
"He said 'They got him; they got the old man.'
"He realized the Ohio State/Michigan game would never be the same without Woody, and that The 10-Year War was over."
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