Right now, there are a number of Michigan football injuries that have sidelined or limited some of the Wolverines’ top performers. A few of the names on this year’s injury reports include Rod Moore, Will Johnson, Makari Paige, Mason Graham, and more. While the physical aspect of an injury is not ideal, defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale says that he is more attentive to the mental toll that these issues can have on his players.
Michigan football injuries go beyond physical concerns
On Wednesday, ahead of this weekend’s game at Minnesota, Michigan football defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale gave some insight into the Wolverines’ injury issues. His room specifically, from the cornerbacks to the safeties, has been hit quite hard with injuries so far this fall. Rod Moore, Will Johnson, Mike Sainristil, Makari Paige, Keon Sabb, Zeke Berry, Amorion Walker, and others have all appeared on pregame injury reports this fall.
“Each person is different,” Clinkscale said yesterday. “What they can take mentally is really the biggest thing. It’s not so much the physical limitations. The trainers tell us what’s physical. Now it’s trying to get into their psyche, understanding how I can push, how I can back up.”
Rod Moore continues to battle through
Steve Clinkscale also says that, of all the current Michigan football injuries, Rod Moore is the one who will try to get on the field no matter what.
“Each player is different,” he continued. “Rod (Moore) is a tough guy, so he’s going to go out there and try to do as much as he can. If he feels he can’t go anymore, he knows I’ll see that before he makes that determination — but he’s been battling through, taking care of his body. I’ll give a little encouragement from time to time when he gets a little fatigued with what he’s working on — (Moore) just needs that little extra push, that’s all.”
Wolverines’ coaching staff needs to make the right call for their players
Michigan football has some warriors on the roster this year. While these elite athletes know their bodies better than anyone, it is still up to make a call on if they will play or not — a responsibility that Steve Clinkscale and others take very seriously.
“Some people, you’ve got to be blunt; some people, you’ve got to be gentle with it,” he explained. “At the end of the day, they know their bodies. It’s not my job to go out there and say what you can and can’t do. Tell me you can’t do it, and you can’t do it. If you think you can try, just try a little bit. Take a little bit more. Add a little more to that. Before you know it, most of the time, they’re doing a lot more than they thought they were able to do.”
Will Johnson, Makari Paige, and others were ‘chomping at the bit’ to get back into the game
While Michigan football defenders such as Will Johnson, Rod Moore, and Makari Paige hardly saw any action throughout the first few games of the year, they all return for the Wolverines’ Big Ten opener against Rutgers in Week 4. Clinkscale says that, despite his room’s cooperation, they were all happy to get back on the field this fall.
“They (the injured defensive backs) were biting at the bit to come back,” the Michigan football assistant coach said. “It’s not like they are sitting around trying to protect themselves or anything like that. So, Will (Johnson) — he was there the whole time. I tried to monitor how much I wanted to put him in the game. It was a little bit of his comfort level and a little bit of getting him exposure. I wanted to get him a few plays before we hit Big Ten play, and that’s what we were able to do.”
Michigan football continues to battle injury issues heading into Week 6
Despite these Michigan football injuries, the Wolverines have seen a stellar start to the 2023 season. Michigan is 5-0 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play heading into Week 6, which will pit the Wolverines against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a battle for the Little Brown Jug — a contest that has been played three times under Jim Harbaugh thus far.
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