Hockey vs MSU Painter's Hat Night Free to First 1,000 Friday, 6:30 p.m. The Michigan Daily Wednesday, November 16, 1983 Daily Libels Football vs. Ohio St. Lantern 9:00 p.m. Friday Mitchell Field Tailback Rogers just keeps on Page 7 running By CHUCK JAFFE If Michigan tailback Rick Rogers scores on a long touchdown run against Ohio State this weekend, don't be surprised if he keeps going up into the Michigan Stadium stands. Rogers, whose 825 yards put him second in the Big Ten behind the Buckeyes' Keith Byars, wants to break a really long run once and for "I ALWAYS GET the feeling that if I get the '",ball this many times - 20 or whatever - that one of them should go a long way," Rogers said. "All year long everyone has asked why I haven't broken any long runs. What's the definition of breaking one? I run 35 yards for a touchdown (see above) and there was no farther to go. I could have run up through sec- tion 33 if I had wanted to. (Breaking one) depends where you are on the field." Rogers said that his longest runs this season - the touchdown jaunt against Indiana and a 52 yarder against Washington State - have been brief glimpses of what, he expects of himself. While his performance and playing time have increased as the season has progressed, Rogers maintains a critical eye for his own play. "When it comes to my performance, even if it's a 15-yard run, I'll find something to com- plain about," the 6-2, 212-pounder said. "Just to myself. I don't go out and tell the whole world." SAID MICHIGAN offensive backfield coach Tirrel Burton, "Rick has a lot of latent ability that is just starting to show itself. He's got academics and athletics in the right perspec- tive, and I think he will get better as he gets more experience." But Rogers feels that more intensity, ex- perience and maturity will make him a better player. Occasional erratic play has taken some of the luster from Rogers' season, but the Inkster native said that improved concen- tration and strength will lead to more con- sistency. "I have to improve my intensity and strength," said Rogers, who has caught 15 passes for 114 yards. "Sometimes, I would say, I just go through the motions and lose some of my concentration. "ONCE (A PLAYER) gets into the flow of the game there is a tendency to relax - some people a little more than others," Rogers said. "I'm in that 'some-more-than-others' category. If it's a big game, though, I'll be there." Said Burton, "It's tough for a player to maintain intensity for a whole season. I don't think Rick lacks intensity; sometimes he might even be too intense. "What everyone forgets is that these guys have more to do than just football," Burton ad- ded. "At 2 o'clock they have to shut off the academics and become athletes. Then when they finish practice they go back to being themselves." WHAT ROGERS does after practice seldome has anything to do with football, however. In fact, Rogers said that football is an out-of-sight, out-of mind activity. "If I'm not playing, (football) is the last thing on my mind," he said. "Having an interview is even hard for me, because when I'm not playing football I don't even talk about it." ROGERS DOES, however, pursue other in- terests - which, this year, include starting an intramural basketball team with Michigan's other running backs. "I never realized exactly how competitive I was until I first played IM basketball," Rogers said. "I thought I was going to play in a frien- dly game, and then my team made it all the way to the (Residence Hall'A') finals, where we lost. I was really upset when we lost that game, and now I'm really excited about playing again this year. I find myself in the football locker room getting ready for practice and talking about IM basketball." But once Rogers reaches the practice field, according to Burton, he turns all of his atten- tion to learning how to play the tailback position the way Michigan fans expect a Wolverine ballcarrier to perform. LDuily r,,uOt OSy BIAM FLPK1. "WE'VE BEEN AN I-back team for a long time, and we tend to produce certain types of running backs," Burton said. "I think you'll see Rick being the kind of runner in the mold of a Butch Woolfolk or Larry Ricks. I think he's almost there now." To become that type of back, Rogers said, he must be able to break the long runs that please the fans. E "I'd like to be remembered by the fans for doing something great," he said. "Something that I achieved on the field - long runs, win- ning touchdowns or whatever. "That's the claim to fame around here," Rogers added. "It seems that the only way you'll be identified is if you are a good football player..I want people to think that Rick Rogers was a good football player who did a good job when he was at Michigan." I Icer DeMartino __ i scores on the rebound I FUTONS' Send in for your FREE Mail - Order Catalogue to: Great Lakes Fulons 1428 N.arell Aoe.. Mil.WlI 53202414j272-3324 By JOE EWING It was midway through the second period of a game last year against Notre Dame and Michigan defenseman John DeMartino was out killing a penalty with teammate Mike Neff deep in the Michigan zone. The puck came loose in front of the net and as DeMar- tino twisted to clear it, he felt a sudden "pop" in his left knee afd his leg buckled under him. Then he realized what had happened. "I knew it was gone," said DeMar- tino. "There was no doubt about it." HOW IT happened was a fluke, for no one had hit DeMartino. More important, what had happened was one of the most-feared injuries in all of sports - the knee injury. Specifically, the St. Clair Shores native had torn the anterior cruciate ligament and the cartilage in his knee. He un- derwent surgery three days later and was put in a cast. His hockey career was on the line. Twenty-seven games later, John DeMartino was back on the ice for the Wolverines. But the road back had been a difficult one. "WHEN I FIRST blew my knee out, they told me there was no way I'd play again last season," said the hard- hitting blue liner. "I was fortunate enough to come back for the last six games." His return was more than just for- tunate. In fact, it was just short of a miracle. For some athletes, a serious knee injury can end a career. "Certainly it could have been career threatening," said Dan Minert, last year's hockey trainer who helped DeMartino with his rehabilitation. "But I had no doubt John would be back. He really wanted to play hockey." ALMOST immediately, Minert put the defenseman on a training regiment to strengthen the injured joint. He also did something else for DeMartino. "He gave me a lot of attention and was real significant in helping me get my knee back together," DeMartino said. "I went through a lot of grumpy times and he always kept my head up and always pushed me a little more. I sure owe him a lot, I'll tell you that." Of course, DeMartino had something to do with the recovery. "JOHN IS THE type of person you never really have to push a lot," said Minert, now a trainer for the Michigan basketball team. "He's always self- motivated." But DeMartino has always been a motivated, hard worker both on and off the ice. During his first two years of college hockey, DeMartino was an integral part of the Michigan-Dearborn squad that twice placed third at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championships. When he was a sophomore, DeMartino earned NAIA All-America honors. IN THE CLASSROOM, the business school finance major also excels as he won the Scholar/Athlete award while at Michigan-Dearborn and the Carl Isaac- son Award last year as top student on the Michigan hockey squad. But it was not simple for him. "I have to work pretty hard at school," DeMartino admitted. "It doesn't come easy for me." Following his sophomore year, DeMartino made a big decision concer- ning his college and hockey career - he decided to transfer to Michigan. "I THINK IT was a big step," said DeMartino. "What prompted me was that I always wanted to play Division I captain. hockey. If I hadn't transferred, it But has his knee inhibited his play? would have always been in the back of "I can go full tilt," DeMartino said. my mind, 'Could I have done it?"' "I think once the game starts you can't SO THIS YEAR he came back full be thinking about your knee or' any force and has one goal and seven assists other injury. 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