Michigan Wolverines Football: Gemon Green Pressing On
Michigan redshirt sophomore cornerback Gemon Green was one of the pleasant surprises in the opener with Minnesota, a 49-24 win over the Golden Gophers. He’s had his struggles since, getting beat for touchdowns in games against Michigan State and Indiana.
Like most of his teammates, Green isn’t pleased with the team’s 1-3 start, having never experienced losing at this clip before. He’s intent on doing his part to change it.
“It’s kind of down right now, but you know, there’s always a way to build it back up to move back up,” Green said. “First, you have to start by forgetting about last week, the [losses] in the past. You’ve got to think about the game you’re fixing to go into. We’re 0-0 right now basically, so we’ve got to be rookies, try to win every game after that … get our excitement, our groove back. That’s all we’ve got to do.”
That starts with accountability in practice, he added, and “no B.S. on the field. If there’s a turning point, that’s where it will originate.
The coaches, meanwhile, have continued to fight to keep spirits up. Head coach Jim Harbaugh in particular has told them they have plenty to play for beyond the record.
“[He said] we still have an opportunity to be the best players we can be really, so we’ve still got an opportunity to showcase our skills out on the field, stuff like that,” Green said. “I think the talent is here. We’ve just got to execute.”
That includes communication and keying on assignments. The film shows a different player making a mistake on several plays that work for the offense — Green chalks a lot of it up to inexperience.
"Always that one person not doing job kind of messes up the whole play,” he said. “We have a lot of young guys. Speaking for myself, I haven’t been on the field for two or three years. I played a little on special teams, but I haven’t really played cornerback in a couple years, so I kind of have to adjust. I’m kind of getting back into my groove.
“In my point of view, me looking in, I kind of start my games slow, get my groove in the end of the game. But I do have a lot of stuff to work on. I feel like I could be the best player I can be in the future.”
He’s gone away from his technique a few times and been out of control on some fades, he admitted, and been burned as a result. He’s not alone. Redshirt junior Vincent Gray and backups DJ Turner and Jalen Perry have also had their struggles, and they’ve taken plenty of heat.
Green, for one, isn’t having it. He’s gotten rid of his Instagram and twitter accounts and is focused only on his teammates and getting better.
“I don’t pay no mind to them. They’re just comments,” he said. “What can they do? They’re not on the field with us. Some people probably take it to heart, but I don’t think you should. I grew up on it.
“We talk about it every day, even coaches. Don’t worry about what they’re saying; you’ve just got to stay off that. Social media is always a bad game.”
But Michigan football has had its share already this year, too. He’s well aware, and he’s trying to do his part to turn it around.
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