Mike Zordich Pleased With his Group
Perhaps the strongest unit on Jim Harbaugh’s defenses during his time in Ann Arbor have been the cornerbacks.
They have been led by Mike Zordich all four years of his tenure, and have consistently played at an elite level, despite plenty of turnover at the position.
“They’re the leaders of the defense on the back end,” Zordich said on the Inside Michigan Football radio show tonight. “Coach Harbaugh said today in the team meeting how much he likes watching these guys in practice. They’ve taken the reigns and are driving now.
“[Junior cornerback] David Long is cerebral and awesome in meetings. You should see the notes he takes in his notebook. He’s fun to coach and is really a great kid.
“[Junior safety] Josh Metellus is playing very well and [senior safety] Tyree [Kinnel] is making all the calls. In practice, they work so hard to get better, and practice is where it’s all at.
“They started off on a good foot last year and stayed consistent. [Sophomore cornerback] Ambry Thomas has been engaged in meetings and very involved as well. It’s great when we see him on offense — I wish I could’ve gone both ways when I played.”
Despite the outstanding play from the secondary this season, Zordich said there are still plenty of mistakes that have haunted him, mentioning one play in particular.
“The first third down against Notre Dame will live with me forever, because we should’ve been off the field,” he insisted. “Things unraveled after that and we spotted them 14 points, and that’s unsettling.”
Defensive coordinator Don Brown has contributed to the secondary’s elite play since he’s been in Ann Arbor, and Zordich briefly touched on what it’s like working with the defensive mastermind, along with some of the other U-M coaches.
“We have fun but we also work hard,” he laughed. “It was 46-0 on Saturday, and Don was still going nuts at that point.
“Sundays are a big day for us too and we get after it, so he’s not taking any naps or anything.
“Chris Partridge is a great young coach as well. We brought in some great people who are also great coaches, and I think we’ve seen the difference.”
David Long Tells Story of Harbaugh Tree Climb
Just as Zordich raved about Long above, the junior cornerback also had plenty of praise for his position coach.
“He teaches us the small details and I take pride in it,” Long noted. “I know I can do something special when I take his coaching and combine it with my talent.”
Despite already having a loss on their resume, all the Wolverines’ preseason goals are still attainable if they win out.
Long insisted that one man in particular has frequently reminded them of that.
“Coach Brown always tells us that,” he revealed. “We can’t look too far ahead though and have to take things weekly.
“Coach Brown has a lot of confidence in us and we really like playing for him. We bust our tail for him and for the defense. Having a guy like Charles Woodson in attendance on Saturday was motivation to make even more plays.”
Long is perhaps best known as the recruit whose tree Harbaugh climbed while he was being recruited, and the junior recalled the funny encounter this evening.
“I remember showing up to my house late from practice and the coaches were already there,” he reminisced. “Coach Harbaugh was playing catch my little brother and sister, and was trying to lift my brother up into the tree after the ball had gotten stuck up there.
“He also got Jay to try and get it down. Seeing him in khakis climbing a tree was crazy. I put it on my snapchat and it blew up from there.
“I knew I wanted to come to Michigan when I was on my official visit for the MSU game in 2015. I was in the hotel the night before the game with Jourdan Lewis, and he was so genuine with me — I really appreciated that.”
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