The Michigan Daily-Friday, September 29, 1978-Page 11
ND GAME BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES
No sacrifice too great for Meter
By RICK MADDOCK
Michigan produced several big plays
gainst the Irish last Saturday, and the
ne that changed' momentum over to the
Iaize and Blue came when defensive
aptain Jerry Meter picked off a Joe
lontana pass.
At the time, the score was 14-14.
ichigan had just scored and Notre
same was handling the ball for the
cond time in . the last half. Both
oaches considered the play the one
jat turned the game around.
"I know that we were thinking it was
me to stop them and slow their
comentum down," Meter said. "When
saw the ball coming at me I was
mazed, and I was amazed that I
ught the ball. It was my first inter-
ption in college ball. After that, I was
t screaming the whole time back to
e bench."
BESIDES THE importance the inter-
ption played in the game, the game
elf also had a personal significance.
eter's father, Bernard, played for
otre Dame in the 1940's. He played
th offensive and defensive guard.
While growing up, Meter visited the
lotre Dame campus several times.
nd when he walked into Notre Dame
tadium last Friday for practice, many
ildhood memories returned.
Then, on Saturday, as gime time ap-
oached, everybody's adrenalin level
icreased. Meter said the pre-game
lings were comparable to those
fore Ohio State or the Rose Bowl.
"I was very jacked up, as was the
m. It was still a team thing; I wasnt
t to gain any personal glory," the
loomfield Hills Andover graduate,
id.
THE TEAM comes first, as is
ichigan tradition and Meter believes
ry strongly in holding up that
dition. The best example of his
ication came early in the Notre
ame game, when starting inside
ebacker Mel Owens was injured.
.eter, who started at outside
2ebacker, was moved to the inside.
"Basically, we have more experience
the outside than inside," defensive
ordinator Bill McCartney said. "We
lt it would behoove us to move Jerry
side and play a senior on the outside,
pecially in a big game like that one.
e would have had to have a
phomore on the inside, if we had left
rry on the outside."
Meter is used to inside linebacker,
ce he has played at that spot for
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three years, and started there for two.
This year he was moved to the outside,
mainly because his size suggests that
this is where he belongs.
"THERE ARE SOME similarities
and some differences. The similarities
would enable a guy to go from one
position to another," McCartney said.
"An inside linebacker is usuallya big
stout guy, where an outside linebacker
is usually a faster guy. The inside
linebacker is concerned with the inside
running game. The outside linebacker's
responsibility is to contain."
Does Meter have a preference? "I en-
joyed playing outside linebacker when I
was there,"Meter said. "It was a new
experience. I still feel very comfortable
playing inside, since I played there
three years. I've been used to playing
underweight, so really -it doesn't make
mach difference now."
McCartney feels that Meter is effec-
tive at both spots. "Really it's a case of
where he can help the team the most. In
the first week against Illinois he was
named (by the team) Defensive
Hustler. Against Notre Dame he was
named Defensive Champion, so it
would indicate that he's a little better at
the inside spot," McCartney said.
METER WAS ALSO chosen by ABC
as the Chevrolet Player of the Game.
He didn't know he was chosen until he
got back to Ann Arbor. "It's very nice
to be singled out, but without everybody
sacrificing it would have been very
hard to beat that team," Meter said.
Meter lives by the team concept.
Even being selected as the defensive
captain doesn't set him apart from the
others. "Your duties and roles are just
a little more magnified than if you are
any senior. Every senior is supposed to
lead. The only different responsibility is
calling heads or tails on the flip," the
defensive captain said.
"We call upon all of our veteran
players to lead," McCartney said. "He
along with all the other seniors are sup-
posed to take the lead and show the
way."
"MY STRONGEST facet is just the
fact I've been here four years. It helps
me prepare better. Preparation is the
key, because if you're not prepared
you're just not ready to play," he said.
He is not concerned, at the moment,
with his chances in professional ball.
His thoughts are with winning the Rose
Bowl. "In January, I will sit down and
evaluate the pros and cons."
If he does not go into the pro ranks, he
is considering a career in law enfor-
cement. But all of that is in the future,
right now he's just content with en-
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