THURSDAY, OCTOBER, 13 1966 THE.-MICHIGAN DAILY IHRDY COE 3196T EMCIA AL Great Combination: Volk and the Pressure Pl PAGE NINE ay By BOB McFARLAND The pressure cooker blows its stack when the heat becomes too great. So do a lot of athletes. But there are some rare indi- viduals who seem, to thrive on a tough situation. They love the tie score, a stretch drive, the fourth- and-one play, and the desperation shot. They represent the anti- thesis of the two o'clock hitter. It was this type of person who intercepted two passes and knock- ed down a third in the fourth quarter of the vital Ohio State game two years ago to halt the Buckyese and send the Wolverines into the Rose Bowl. And it was this same player who found himself the last man between Tar Heel halfback Dave Riggs and the goal line two Saturdays ago. A diving, picture book tackle brought Riggs to the turf after a 73-yard jaunt. Riggs shouldn't blame himself o though. 'Mr. Clutch' of player who does well in the clutch, in addition to consistently being good." Wolverine defensive backfield coach Don James agreed. "Volk is the type of football player who never gives up or stops trying." On the gridiron, Volk looks more nonchalant than Willie Mays making a basket catch. Whether he is fielding a punt, or hounding the moves of a fleet Gene Wash- ington, the senior safety takes everything in stride. As an ob- server noted at an early Michigan scrimmage this season, "He shows more poise than anyone on the field." James has noticed this, too. "He'll walk away from a big play like nothing ever happened. He's just not an emotional player." Perennial Starter, Starting since the first game of his sophomore season, Volk feels that experience helps give iim this appearance. "Yes, experience is definitely part of it," Yolk said last night. "There's nothing spe- cial that makes you have ice water in your veins, though. Confidence in yourself and your teammates is another aspect. If you know the other players are going to come through for you, it puts yQu in a much more relaxed state," he added. He also believes there is no one factor that leads to good perform- ances in the clutch situation. "In that play in the North Carolina game, everything happened so fast that I didn't have time to think," Volk said. "Your instinct to play the game takes over and you hope it'll lead you to do the right thing." Whatever it is that leads to poise and pressure performances, Volk seems to have it. Perhaps, a contributing factor is the fact that playing for Michigan was like a dream-come-true for him. "I'll probably remember that first game of my sophomore year with Air Force all my life. It was band day, and there were those thousands of people yelling and screaming. "Ever since I was so high, I wanted to go to Michigan," he continued. "I always said I'd just like to sit on the bench here. It was a great thrill to play in that game." He may have been thrilled to play in Michigan Stadium, but Volk has more than reciprocated by making games a thrill to watch, with his tackles and interceptions. Despite the fact that he's become as much of a fixture in the Wol- verine defensive backfield as the football helmet, the veteran senior has some other gridiron talents which he doesn't often get a chance to display. All-Around Player Elliott called him "one of the best all-around players on the team." Concurring with the head coach; James said, "He can do just about anything. This is evidenced by his play on every special team except making an interception. They the kick-off receiving team." have to throw it in your direction." Sitting nearby, offensive back- Luck? field coach Hank Fonde overheard This evaluation brought a cry and added, "He wouldn't be a bad of protest from Volk's teammate boy to have back there either." and r o o m m a te, Stan Kemp. Volk has also been given some "Luck," he laughed. "You should work at offensive quarterback in have seen the interception this guy practice, and could serve as a key made against Minnesota last year- fill-in if an injury occurred. He reached over Ken Last's shoul- Well aware of the defensive der, grabbed the pass with one safety's offensive talents, Elliott hand, hauled it in, and took off in commented, "Probably the only re- the other direction." gret I have about Volk's career If it is luck, then fortune has here is that he hasn't played on been very generous with Volk. He offense, which I know he'd like to intercepted five passes his sopho- do. It's just an unusual case where more year, and led the Big Ten in if he wasn't so good on defense, steals with four last year, he could play offense for us." In preparing to cover a specific Volk realizes that defense has pass receiver, Volk watches for become his major attribute."Sure major characteristics of an end's becomde i majo attriut "Sur, play rather than detailed features. it would be nice to run with the "We watch to see if he runs long, ball every once in a while," he or stays basically with hook-and- admitted. "If I was playing guar- out patterns," Yolk explained. terback though, the only way I "Speed is another important thing would be happy is to go both ways, you've got to be aware of." something the quarterback doesn't do in the Big Ten. Defense is my Private Practice big suit. The only offense I'm Volk worked out with Clancy thinking about is the other team's and Vidmer this summer, and feels rights now." this helped to improve his play But it isn't as if he never gets this season. "If you can cover his hands on the pigskin. He runs Clancy, you can cover anybody," back punts, and in addition, Volk he stated. "Clancy has the best has been known to grab an enemy moves I've ever seen, even better aerial from time to time. than Hadrick of Purdue. As far as According to folk, interceptions blazing speed goes, I'd have to give are not all skill. "You have to work Gene Washington the edge in that at it, but there's still some luck to category. With the institution of the pro- mostly defense in the pro leagues. No quarterback has dared throw though. You've got to be a great too often against the experienced passer to even think about quar- Wolverine secondary this season, terback up there." but Bob Griese may break the pat- Biggest Thrill tern. Volk thinks its partially be- He still ranks the Ohio State cause of the reputation the Wol- game in his sophomore year as his verine foursome has acquired. greatest thrill at Michigan. "I've Charley Kines and Wally Gabler got to go along with that. I'd like came back from the all-star games to pull a couple of performances last winter reporting that Illinois out like that now. Everything was players had termed Volk and corn- riding on it, and I never liked pany "the dirtiest defensive back- Ohio State to begin with. I want- field in the Big Ten." More than ed to beat them so badly. It was a few members of the Illini squad just perfect," he remarked. singled out Volk in particular. IZt's not b s d: tu tpiifin to "I was thiking only yesterday that the fall semester of my sopho- more year was my best," he re- flected. "We went to the Rose Bowl, my grade-point was a 3.2, and I met my girl, Charlene Laskey," he reflected. Volk isn't easily satisfied with his. own performance. "I've only made one big play, that tackle in the North Carolina game, in four games. No interceptions yet either. But there's going to be a few this week against Purdue," he pre- dicted. lb Ilut' 1i rUUU a 1M on;I LO have. No one's really challenged us yet," he laughed. Volk always sets high goals for himself. "I'd like to go to the Rose Bowl again, lead the Big Ten in interceptions, and not make any bad plays to close out my Mich- igan career." And he's still trying to figure out ways to improve. "Maybe I should be playing more basketball. The shuffle step helps to cover receivers," Volk demonstrated. "I have to put up with this all the time," Kemp Joked. It just happened to Volk's type of play, a situation where all the bility rested on him., be Rick pressure responsi- --- --- ----------- t -i Coach Bump Elliott commented A on this feature of his star defen- sive back yesterday, stating, "He's always performed very well under pressure. We've been more than pleased with the way he's always worked out for us. Rick is the kind GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL MIXER RICK VOLK type Oklahoma defense this sea- son, Volk believes there has been only one major change in the pass defender's duties. "Now, when we cover a receiver, we concentrate on him until he's made his final cut. Last year, we keyed through the receiver to the quarterback. The new system may cut down on the number of interceptions, but it's much more of an advantage to know the system if you play pro ball," he pointed out. Pro Prospect This is a definite advantage for Volk, then. As James said, "I think Rick's playing career will extend a lot longer than 1966. He's a good pro possibility at a number of positions. He's the all-around player who can fit in almost any- where, not only on defense. This is important to a pro team with a limited roster. I could see him playing flanker, split-end, or even outside linebacker if he put on a little weight." Football has become more than just a game to Volk. "I'd like to play professional ball awfully bad," he admits. "I think I'd play ni DAILY will roll it up 011 Friday, October 14 . . VFW HALL . 314 E. Liberty Street MUSIC and REFRESHMENTS . You must be 21 . 9-12 . .$1.75 Appearing at Eastern Michigan.University. in the Green & White Series BISHOP JAMES A. PIKE Thursday, Oct. 13 8 P.M. Price: $1.50 Pease Aud. Tickets at McKenny Union and at the door You can hear Woody Allen on sub- jects other than shirts on his latest Colpix album, Woody Allen Vol- ume 2. =His shirt, incidentally, is one of Hathaway's new Club Ocean Stripes - with alternating blue and green stripes on a solid Weathered Blue Oxford cloth. About $8.00. Hathawayisadivision of The Warner Brothers Co. Hathaway Hallmarks (Or what we hoped Woody Allen would mention) ($ ":y. T{ ::Jf,.;} f <: :.. ; ;ref v ; f . :,y f I i *,. : y ; { f{ { " -i ::: ::!ri;. :' +{.; i:,hSitf'' , ,r},4 i