Michigan Wolverines football senior left guard Ben Bredeson, senior viper Khaleke Hudson and senior defensive tackle Carlo Kemp were chosen as U-M’s three captains for the 2019 season on Monday, and none of their selections came as a surprise.
Although Kemp was seemingly an obvious pick to earn captaincy heading into the voting process, he admitted that he was actually quite alarmed once he found out he had been selected by his teammates.
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“I didn’t expect to be captain because there are so many people who are talented on this team and lead in such a great way,” he explained.
“It’s kind of a shock to be recognized and honored by your teammates. We had a player-led vote and did it in a team meeting — the votes got counted in a secret room and then Coach [Jim Harbaugh] came back in and announced who the guys had picked.
“I did not vote for myself, but for two people who are great leaders on this team. It will be surreal to have my name on that wall [of past Michigan captains], especially when it’s alongside guys I’ve played with before like Devin Bush.
“There are countless names in Michigan history of guys who are up there. Being able to be recognized in that manner by my teammates is a huge honor.”
Kemp revealed that he also received texts from two recent U-M captains he played alongside — defensive end Chris Wormley and defensive tackle Mo Hurst — following the announcement, and admitted it was special to hear from his former d-line brethren.
Defensive coordinator Don Brown has obviously shown an ability to overcome heavy personnel losses during his time at Michigan (replacing Hurst, for example, was a huge task following the 2017 campaign), and is once again facing that same challenge following the departure of six starters from last year.
Kemp was simply asked for an update on where the defense currently stands with so many new faces expected to play significant roles this season.
“This defense is ready to attack, and that all starts with Coach Brown — aggression, aggression and aggression,” he said.
“If you thought we’d be less aggressive, you’re wrong, because we’re coming at you full force on every single play. We’ve been attacking our own offense every day in practice, so we can’t wait for two Saturdays to come when we can do it in front of our home fans.”
The Middle Tennessee State showdown on Aug. 31 will kick off a 2019 campaign that is expected to be special for the Wolverines.
With that being said, the nagging questions of how the team will bounce back from the blowout losses to end 2018 are still lingering, and Kemp was asked once again why this year should be expected to be any different.
“We have a lot of guys back from last year’s team,” he began. “We’ve been playing with a lot of these guys for four years and they’re our brothers for life.
“Now we have this one chance, and everybody on both sides of the ball has bought in and is believing in the same cause.
“We’ve been hitting the same people every day in camp, so we’re ready to start hitting other jerseys.”
Notes:
• Though Kemp was obviously honored to be named a captain, he revealed that several other players were deserving of the status as well, which speaks volumes to the level of leadership the team possesses.
“It’s a very unique feeling to be honored by your teammates in that way," he began. "There are still a lot of great leaders on this team, and that’s the best part — you’re the voice of all the people as a captain, but you’re influenced by so many other great leaders as well.
"We only have three captains, but we could name a countless amount of others who could also serve in that role.”
• The early reports out of fall camp have been glowing for freshmen defensive tackles Chris Hinton and Mazi Smith, who may each wind up finding their way into the defensive line rotation this season.
“It’s been hard for them because they have classes, have to come here and then go back to classes," Kemp explained. "They’re two young guys who have really bought in, even though it’s a struggle with class for four hours and then practice for another three.
"They’re out there busting their butts every day. You love seeing young guys who are hungry and fighting every single play — they fly around and hustle, and you kind of feed off their energy as you get older.”
• Of the three captains declared on Monday, Kemp was asked which one is the most likely to stand up and give a fiery speech to the team. He explained that they all possess their own unique qualities, and that it's not always about shouting and being vocal.
“We all can do that," he noted. "We all know how to feed off each other and balance that out. When it’s time for Khaleke to get up and lead, we all listen to him. There are times when we need that voice of Ben Bredeson, who has been here for four years and has seen a lot of football — you need those experiences.
"I can also come in and try and fire up the guys. There’s never this ‘let me top another person’ mindset, because we all know how to respect one another and let others talk. Everyone has to be on the same page as captains.
"[I think my message would be] how important every single game is and how you don’t get any opportunities back. We’ve been so close so many times here, and it’s time to capitalize on the moments and really make our mark this year.”
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