4
Registration for the All-Campus intramural
tennis tournament today through Friday
at the I.M. building, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
SPORTS
All-Campus intramural golf
tournament. Registration ends
4:30 p.m. today at the I.M. building.
Page 8
Wednesday, September 14, 1983
The Michigan Daily
4
Michigan
By RON POLLACK
Michigan linebacker Tom Hassel is
one tough hombre. Tough as nails?
Heck, this guy is tougher than nails.
When he hits someone, they stay hit.
For Hassel, glory isn't so important as
the pure pleasure that goes with a thun-
derous hit on a runni
who had the uni
trespass on the s
rights.
. "HE PLAYS with
an intensity," say
coach Bo Schembech
as he describes the
football ought to b
{ i
tough gu y
ng back or receiver competitor. He's a tough guy."
thinkable gall to Nobody knows that better than
enior's territorial Michigan quarterback Dave Hall who
must face, and try to survive, Hassel's
an agressiveness, hell-bent style of play every day in
s Michigan head practice.
hler, his eyes aglow "Tom strikes me as a guy who gives
way the game of 110-percent every play," Hall says.
e played. "He's a "He's a real good hitter. Play after play
he hits people hard if they come his
way. You would want him on your side
in a fight."
INDEED YOU would, for Hassel is no
stranger to gang warfare, both on and
off the field.
"I have seven brothers and we fought
a lot," Hassel says. "It could have
toughened me up, although not
necessarily so. But we were at each
others' necks at times.'
This past Saturday against
Washington State, Hassel constantly
was at the Cougar players' necks. He
was in on eight tackles, knocked
Washington State quarterback Rickey
Turner out of the game at a key
moment in the fourth quarter with the
help of defensive tackle Jim Scarcelli,
and was named the Wolverines' Defen-
sive Champion of the Week.
"TOM PLAYED one of his best
games he's had since he's been here,"
Schembechler said. "But I wasn't sur-
prised because he had a good fall."
It didn't always appear that Hassel
would spearhead the defense, though.
As a freshman and sophomore, Hassel
collected bumps and bruises from being
hit rather than inflicting pain on others
as he does now.
In high school, Hassel doubled up at
fullback and linebacker. When he
arrived on the Ann Arbor scene, the
Wolverines were short on capable
bodies at fullback. Hence, Hassel found
himself on the offensive side of the line
of scrimmage on a full-time basis. Full-
time in practice at the very least.
During games his first two seasons, he
was faced with the sobering news that
freshmen and sophomores tend to
spend more time leading cheers than
causing them. And for someone who
plays with the unbridled zeal of Hassel,
this was a monumental task.
"THE FIRST TWO years I thought
I'd see more action at fullback than
7p1-a207 did, so I was little upset," said the
outside linebacker. "But I got over it. I
played on specia.l teams. I had a good
time going down field and blocking
people. I felt I accomplished
something."
It was relatively simple to appease
Hassel back then, as it is now. Just give
him someone to hit and he was a con-
tent man. As his junior year ap-
proached, it appeared that there would
be a great many things for him to hit.
Namely gaping holes thoughtfully
provided by the Michigan offensive line
and opposing defenders when his
assignment was to throw the lead block
on runs by a Wolverine tailback.
4,3
... tough guy
"Going into my junior year I think I
would have been the starting fullback,"
Hassel says. ."But I wanted to play
defense more."
TIMEOUT.
Let's have an instant replay here. Did
Hassel actually say he wanted to forego
the glory of the offensive backfield for
the thankless job of playing defense?
Yes he did. The only explanation for
this change of heart must be that he got
bounced on his head one time too many
as a fullback and his thoughts were
scrambled.
As a matter of fact, Hassel says,
there is a germ of truth to this theory.
"AT FULLBACK I'd have big red
marks on my back and scrapes from
helmets," Hassel says. "That doesn't
happen now that I play linebacker. I
liked running the ball, but even when I
first came in I wanted to play defense.
If I was a tailback I might have liked it
more, while fullback is more of a
blocking back."
So off to the defensive side of the line
of scrimmage went Hassel. In doing so,
r
Hassels opponents
.'4
4
Daily Photo by BRIAN MASCK
Tom Hassel (top), along with help from Vince DeFelice (90) and Mike
Mallory (bottom), mauls Washington State's quarterback Ricky Turner in
last Saturday's season opener.
B ~I UOU
330 S. State
he had to start from scratch.
"My whole first year at linebacker
was tough," Hassel says. "It was hard
making adjustments and it took a while
to read offenses.
"I'd say being on defense you have to
know more. On defense you have to
read alignments more."
But on defense you get to hit more.
And for a tough hombre named Hassel,
it doesn't get any better than that.
WOLVERINE NOTES: Following
Monday's practice, no decision had
been made as to who Michigan's star-
ting quarterback will be Saturday
against Washington. "All three of them
(Steve Smith, Dave Hall and Jim Har-
baugh) worked with the first team
yesterday (Monday) in practice," said
quarterback coach Jerry Hanlon.
"That will continue until one shows he's
the most capable of doing the
job."...Sophomore fullback Eddie
Garrett suffered a bruised arm against
Washington State on Saturday, but is
expected to play against
Washington...Junior tight end Eric Kat-
tus has been hampered by turf toe, but
is expected to return to practice this
week.
4
4
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