The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 25, 1984 - Page 1
Earl bird Bo snatched Brooks first
* OSU coach Bruce came too late
1
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By PAUL HELGREN
As recruiting stories go, this one will always be remem-
b tered as a classic.
It's 1980. Young Kevin Brooks, a star linebacker for
Detroit MacKenzie High, is sought after by two arch-rivals,
Michigan and Ohio State. It's 8:30 a.m. on the first day when
prep stars may sign national letters of intent. Earle Bruce,
head coach of Ohio State, pulls up to the Brooks' home and
-wings frantically to the door. He has come early, figuring he
' can wrestle Brooks from under Bo Schembechler's nose if he
' gets to the kid first.
s THE DOOR OPENS. Brooks is home. I've got him, thinks
Bruce. I'm sorry, says Brooks. You see, coach Schem-
,bechler was here about a half hour ago and.. .
4 That was four years ago. A lot has happened since then,
but Kevin Brooks still shakes his head and smiles when he
recounts that particular story.
"If Bruce would've got there 30 minutes before Bo did, I
.>would've went to Ohio State," Brooks said matter-of-factly.
A STATEMENT like that could be grounds for execution in
'these parts. To think that Michigan's
strongest candidate for All-America in
1984 turned down the Buckeyes simply
because Bruce forgot to tell the cabbie, 'If Bruce W
"Step on it, buddy,"-why, the very there 30 mi
idea borders on treason.thr 30m .
But that's Kevin Brooks, a lineman Bo did, I WO
who likes to lay it on the line. Forget to Ohio Stat(
the standard sports cliches. That's not
Brooks' style. Ask him a question and - K
he will give you a thoughtful and truth-
ful answer, like it or not.
Brooks' candor is refreshing, but it
has also been the source of some friction for him. It's no
secret that Brooks and Schembechler haven't always seen
eye-to-eye but on the whole they've got along just fine. Ex-
perience has taught Brooks to be a little more philosophical
about disagreements.
"EVERYBODY'S HUMAN," Brooks explained.
"Everybody sees different situations in different ways. They
(coaches) might not see it my way or I might not see it their
way. I might disagree on that point or they might disagree on
this point. It's not anything major. I get along pretty well
with all the Michigan coaches."
That wasn't always the case in high school, however. At
Mackenzie a disagreement with the basketball coach caused
Brooks to give up the sport and concentrate solely on football.
The problem, Brooks said, was mainly a failure to com-
municate.
"I couldn't understand some of the diagrams the coach was
drawing up," he said, "so I would ask, 'Why don't you do it
this way?' But I guess he couldn't understand me. It wasn't
like I was trying to be sarcastic or intimidating. I was just
h, trying to find out what was going on."
.n
of
ULTIMATELY, the move worked out for the better.
Brooks' future would be on the gridiron, not the hardwood.
As a 6-6 linebacker with crushing strength and gliding speed
(4.7 in the 40) he was hot property. Schembechler won the
race to sign the Detroit phenom, and Brooks brought his
talents 40 miles west to Ann Arbor.
Brooks began as a linebacker but was switched to the line at:
the end of his freshman season. He enjoyed excellent
sophomore and junior campaigns, collecting 92 tackles, 14 of
those behind the line of scrimmage. Last year he made All-
Big Ten. But the best was still to come.
Brooks has been the standout on Michigan's gritty defense
this season, despite being hobbled by a bum knee for a few
games. He is singled out by opposing coaches for praise, and
by opposing lines for double-teams. His numbers-50
tackles, 10 for a loss of yardage-are superb for a lineman.
Brooks could well be on his way to a second- or third-team
All-America selection. It is turning out to be the perfect final
season for Brooks-except for one small detail.
THE WOLVERINES are suffering
through their worst season in memory.
It's frustrating for everybody, but
especially so for the defensive players
ould've got like Brooks who have done such a
tutes before commendable job holding down the op-
uld'Ve went Position.dBut that's just part of the
game, said Brooks.
.' "You take the lumps as well as the
eVin BrookS glory," he said. "I've had my share of
glory. I've been to a Rose Bowl game.
I'm one of the fortunate few. I just feel
sorry for the freshman class that came
in. With the way we're going we might
not get a chance to attend a bowl game. We just have to pick
ourselves up and keep going."
Brooks himself isn't sure where he is going after this season.
BECAUSE OF the NCAA's new "retroactive redshirt"
rule, Brooks could declare himself eligible for a fifth season
as a Wolverine, instead of heading for the pros. He confessed
he is still vascillating.
"For me to come back here. . . getting my degree, that's
the main point," said Brooks. Brooks holds a 2.8 GPA in
telecommunications and could graduate in the summer or
come back for a final semester next fall. "I probably won't
make my decision until the last possible moment. I have to
talk to my family and some close friends."
If history is any indication, Brooks will keep his word and
wait till the last minute to choose. To help him decide, a
crush of pro scouts and team representatives might come
knocking on his door to convince him to make the jump.
If they're smart, they'll get there early.
Daily roto by DAN HABIB
Senior defensive lineman Kevin Brooks, second on the team with 50 tackles, has one more year of eligibility, but is un-
decided if he will return for a final season at Michigan.
Aikido students can
plead self-defense
Iuick on the Draw
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First down keys offense .. .
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By SUSIE WARNER
If only President Reagan knew what
defense is all about; if only he knew
about aikido.
One of the forms of the Japanese
martial arts, aikido is a system of pure
self-defense. It comes from the
traditional weaponless fighting
techniques based on the ancient
Samauri movement. The sole purpose
of this art is to redirect the attackers
momentum and strength so that he
r works against himself.
SO WHAT does this have to do with
sports? Aikido is one of Michigan's club
sports. Participants meet in a class
twice a week.
One such paticipant, Debbie Webb,
decided to take up the sport after seeing
a demonstration. She said the club
looked interesting, and it has proved to
be "very good exercise."
Since two people cannot practice
defensive techniques against each
other, aikido does not lend itself to
competition. One person takes the of-
fensive role, throwing strikes or holds,
and the other partner deflects these
using various aikido moves.
BECAUSE OF this sharing of roles,
Webb said, "There is a cooperative
spirit in the class: everyone helps each
r ; other. "We make harmony with each
.other."
The techniques of aikido stress joint
: manipulation to defend against armed
or unarmed attackers. The aikido
student usually holds back his opponent
by manipulating the aggressor's wrists,
:elbows, and shoulders. By meeting,
rather than blocking a strike, he or she
can redirect the flow of the opponent's
"ki," that is, his positive energy force.
Webb stated that this energy can be
redirected "at different angles to bring
them (the opponent) down to the mat."
Although, the Michigan Aikido club
i does not actually compete with other
clubs, it does train with different people
i and put on demonstrations. Their latest
demonstration took place at Huron
High last Saturday.
SINCE THE 1960's aikido has rapidly
gained in popularity throughout Japan
and in other countries around the
world, including the United States. And
because it is a self-defense system and
does not require great physical
strength, it has attracted many women
and elderly people. One of these people
is Pauline Nagara.
Nagara has been practicing aikido
for two-and-a-half-years. Nagara
originally began aikido for the exercise
and to learn self-defense. She continued
aikido for other reasons.
"It helps me to develop self control
and focus," Nagara said. "I like this
training becaue it's not based on power
and aggressions, it's based on self-
discipline, offensive strategy and
trying to develop harmonious relation-
ships with others."
If aikido is "making harmony with
each other," and not building up power
or developing first strike potential,
perhaps President Reagan does have
something to learn.
WELL, WE ALL have two more days to be
optimistic. Right now Michigan can still go
to a decent bowl game and have a respectable
season, but that can all end with a loss to Illinois
Saturday.
The Illini are 0-3 on the road this season, but
their season pretty much ends after this week's
visit to Ann Arbor. Minnesota, Indiana and eight
more months on probaton are what await Mike
White's team after this week's game. So they
ought to be fired up for this contest - which is
quickly becoming one of the most bitter rivalries
in the Big Ten.
But Illinois can be beat and so can Purdue, and
Minnesota is a given, so if things go well, the
Wolverines can vault towards Columbus with a
chance at an 8-3 season and a big upset on national
TV that would knock the Buckeyes out of the Rose
Bowl and propel Michigan into a bowl game that
won't be played where it's snowing.
Hey, it could happen.
There's one major flaw in the team, though, that
Bo Schembechler needs to correct and that's the
play calling - especially on first down.
All throughout Schembechler's seasons at
Michigan, he ran a predictable, run-oriented of-
fense. And it worked great.
The problem is that offense is still being used
and now it's not working. Schembechler needs to
develop an offensive plan around this year's not-
as-talented-as-previous-years team before any
more 26-0 embarrassments occur.
The Iowa game provided a good showcase for
Michigan's lack of creativity. The Wolverines had
14 first-and-10 plays during the first three quarters
when the game was still within reach. They ran
the ball all 14 times and gained an average of 1.79
yards a pop.
Part of this can be attributed to the strong
Hawkeye defense. Michigan luckily won't face
any more defenses of such caliber this season. But
if you're not moving the ball, it's time to try
something else.
You don't necessarily have to throw the ball all
the time, but now and then on first down would
help to throw off the opponents. In the loss to
Michigan State, the Wolverines stayed on the
ground 16 of 19 times on first down before the
game got out of hand. This was fine when
Michigan's offensive line could dominate op-
ponents but needless to say, this year's line isn't
doing so.
One particular drive midway thorugh the third
quarter last Saturday provided a good example of
how fresh plays can help move the ball.
First-and-10 from the 30: Michigan lines with
only one runner in the backfield and Rick Rogers
on the wing. Quarterback Russell Rein starts
running right then gives the ball to Eddie Garrett,
who cuts the opposite way for a gain of five yards.
Good. Different formation. Change of Direction.
Decent gain.
t imefor Bo to vary
First-and-10 from the 47 one play later: I for-
mation, give to Rogers over left guard. Loss of
one.
Michigan ran the tailback between the tackles
about 20 times in Kinnick Stadium. Sometimes for
a decent gain, but in key situations the Hawkeye
defense was waiting for it.
Another case in point. First-and-goal at the five,
Trailing 12-0. Give to Rogers over right tackle for
a loss of one. The eventual result was an intercep-
tion on third-and-goal from the 14.
True, interceptions by the inexperienced quar-
terbacks have hurt. But both of Rein's pickoffs
last week came on third down, a time when the
Hawks knew a pass was coming.
Maybe a pass on first down, when the defenses
are expecting Rogers up the middle would gain
some yards. It wouldn't have to be a high risk pass .
downfield, a screen or flare to a running back is
usually good for five or six yards.
An occasional pass, or even a different running
play such as the one to Garrett on first down would
improve the effectiveness of the Michigan offense
because the opposition wouldn''t know what to ex-
pect, so ball movement wouldn't rely solely on the
offensive line blowing people away.
It's not to late for 1984 to become a successful
Wolverine football season, but we've got to start
moving the ball.
A second straight loss to the Illini is about as low
as the program could possibly stoop.
Sandberg, Gwynn lead NL All-Star list
NEW YORK (UPI) -Second baseman Ryne Sandberg and
outfielder Tony Gwynn, who led the Chicago Cubs and San
Diego Padres to the Eastern and Western Division titles,
were the unanimous choices yesterday on the 1984 UPI
team.
Joining Sandberg in the infield, were catcher Gary Carter
of the Montreal Expos, first baseman Keith Hernandez of the
New York Mets, shortstop Ozzie Smith and third baseman
Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies. Along with Gwynn
in the outfield were Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros and Dale
Murphy of the Atlanta Braves.
Rick Sutcliffe of the Chicago Cubs, the NL's Cy Young
Award winner, and Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets,
the league's rookie strikeout king, were the starting pitchers,
Bruce Sutter of the Cardinals was the relief pitcher.
The Cubs, Mets and Cardinals were the only teams with two
players on the squad. The team is made up of eight players
from the Eastern Division and three from the Western.
Sandberg, the leading candidate for the Most Valuable
Player Award, led the Cubs to their first title of any kind sin-
ce 1945 with a .314 average, 19 homers and 84 RBI. Gwynn
was the league's batting champion with a .351 average while
driving in 71 runs.
Hernandez, expected to receive strong support in MVP
voting, received 25 of a possible 26 votes from the panel of
UPI baseball reporters which participated in the balloting.
Leon Durham of the Cubs received the other vote for first
base.
Sutcliffe, acquired from the Cleveland Indians in June,
posted a 16-1 record for the Cubs. Gooden, 19, had a 17-9 mark
and led the league with a rookie-record 276 strikeouts.
Sutter, who had a 5-7 record and 1.54 ERA, tied the major-
league record with 45 saves.
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