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Page 10 - The Michigan Daily, Wednesday, December 11, 1985
Kattus returns or big season
Towering tight end makes most
4 of decision to play fifth ear
r
rl
Philling it Up
f By Ph il Nussel
The Michigan Daily, Wednesday, DMv
Rosters
By MIKE REDSTONE
A year ago at this time Michigan
tight end Eric Kattus was trying to
decide whether to come back to Ann
Arbor for a fifth year of football.
In a post-season meeting with coach
Bo Schembechler, Kattus was
promised the inside track to a starting
position if he decided to return in 1985.
AFTER catching only seven passes
for 60 yards in his first three years as
a Wolverine, the 6-6 223-pounder felt
he had something to prove to himself,
his coaches, and his fans. Kattus also
did not want to leave Michigan with
the memory of a miserable 6-6 season
fresh in his mind.
At the time, even Kattus himself
had no idea how important that
decision would be for him and the rest
of the Michigan team in 1985.
As it turned out, Kattus surprised
almost everyone by finishing second
on the Wolverines this year with 35
receptions for 544 yards and a team-
high eight touchdowns.
"I WAS surprised with the season I
had," said Kattus, who was named to
the AP All-Big Ten first team.
"Everybody comes up here (to
Michigan) wanting to be a really good
player and I felt after my senior year
that I didn't accomplish that. I had an
opportunity to come back this year
and I took advantage of it."
"Took advantage" is an under-
statement for one of the best season's
ever by a Michigan tight end. In a
rags to riches year, Kattus has not
only earned recognition from the
Michigan community, but he is also
being mentioned as an All-American
candidate.
"If there is a better tight end in the
nation I'd like to see him," said
Schembechler of Kattus. "If he's not
on some All-American teams it would
be a real shame."
KATTUS' PRO prospects have also
improved greatly with his perfor-
mance in 1985, but he is being cautious
not to expect too much when draft
time rolls around.
"Everyone has a fantasy of playing
pro football," said Kattus, who is con-
concentrating all of his attention on the
upcoming Fiesta Bowl against
Nebraska. "But I didn't come back
this year because I wanted a shot at
playing pro football.
"I think I'll be very happy if I get
drafted but I don't want to put my
personal goals in front of my team
goals right now. All I'm looking for-
ward to is playing Nebraska. They're
a top-ranked team and it would be a
great win for this program."
KATTUS HAS always been a team
oriented player. In fact, his first ex-
perience in organized sports was with
soccer, not football. The Cincinnati
native did not start playing football
until he was in sixth grade, after he
was pressured by his gridiron buddies
- who called him a "soccer sissy."
Kattus, who says he has always
been tall and thin, played his first
game as a tight end four years later as
a sophomore at Colerain High School.
Two years and 53 catches later, he
was a high school All-American and a
top college prospect because of his
size: In his senior year, Kattus
already stood 6-6 and weighed 220
pounds. It didn't take him long to
decide which college to attend.
"WHEN I CAME up to Michigan I
was very impressed with the school
and with Bo Schembechler," said
Kattus, who was also considering
UCLA, Illinois, North Carolina, and
Miami of Ohio. "It didn't take me too
long to decide that if I was going to
play football in the Big Ten, it was
going to be at Michigan."
A good deal of Kattus' success in a
maize and blue uniform stems from
his intelligence and versatility in
dealing with a complex position.
Tight ends must work with the offen-
sive line coach to get blocking
assignments down, and they must
also concentrate on pass routes.
"Tight end is kind of a tough
position because everyone is always
The near-perfect season...
...some suitable awards
B EFORE the 1985 Wolverine football season began, I predicted in this
space that Michigan would finish in a tie for second place in the Big
Ten with an overall record of 8-3 or 7-4.
At the time, people thought I was crazy.
Now, after 12 weeks and a 9-1-1 record, people still think I'm crazy, but
my prediction looks a little better. This Wolverine squad looked good
from the start and I had no hesitation in picking them to win all 11 weeks.
They should have won all 11 games, but a field goal from Iowa's Rob
Houghtlin and a Gerald White fumble on the Illinois seven yard line kept
that from happening.
Michigan could easily be going into Pasadena this New Year's day as
the top-ranked team in the land. But hey, for a team that was supposed to
have a losing record, you can't complain.
And considering that Michigan beat Notre Dame, Michigan State, and
Ohio State - its most hated rivals - the season looks even better.
It's been a memorable season indeed. Here are some awards for the
people and events which made it that way:
*The Most Ridiculous Statistics A ward: The Michigan defense.
Besides being one of the top squads in the country, Gary Moeller's crew
has produced some numbers that will be hard t.o equal for a long time.
The stat everybody has looked at is touchdowns allowed, which is five for
the Wolverines. Of those, only two were scored on sustained drives - one
was scored on the second team by Minnesota and the other was scored by
Ohio State on Jim Karsatos' desperation fourth down bomb in the fourth
quarter.
" The Most Improved Player A ward: Jim Harbaugh. Who else could
qualify? The Michigan quarterback went from being a decent Big Ten
quarterback to one of the most efficient in the nation. He has set Michigan
season passing marks in nearly every category and if he continues this
pace into next season, he could become the best quarterback in the
school's history. Just ask Brent Musberger.
One reporter at Bo Schembechler's last press luncheon even suggested
that Harbaugh could be a Heisman Trophy candidate next year. In-
teresting...
" The Silent Achiever Award: Mark Messner. With Mike Hammer-
stein on the same defensive line, Messner has been left behind by the
media hype. Hammerstein may not win the Lombardi Trophy for the
nation's outstanding lineman this year, but Messner will before he leaves
Michigan. The sophomore has a team-leading 11 sacks along with 62
tackles.
" The "Let Me Play Quarterback" vard: Gerald White. The
junior runningback had his best and worst moments of the 1985 season
against Illinois. He did commit the crucial fumble on the Illini seven, but
he also threw a beautiful 40-yard bomb to Paul Jokisch - the only non-
quarterback pass of the year.
" The Best Interview A ward: Billy Harris. This middle guard could
be an entertainer some day. Not only is he articulate, he is known to be a
very fine singer. In fact, when he met the press the Monday after the Iowa
loss, he sang a song about his home town of Xenia, Oh. which was
devastated in 1973 by a tornado.
" The Isiah Thomas A ward: Jamie Morris. The sophomore tailback
has the same soft-spoken humility that was made famous by Detroit
Piston Isiah Thomas. He also has a smile on his face for nearly every in-
terview, just like Thomas.
* The "What Did I Do Now?" A ward: Pat Moons. After getting
beaten out by two new faces for the starting kicking job, the senior was
mistakingly arrested at practice during Michigan State week for bank
robbery. Needless to say, Schembechler and the Wolverines were slightly
surprised that day to see Moons in handcuffs in the back of an Ann Arbor
police car. But Moons got justice by scoring nine points against Ohio
State. The real bank robber, according to Schembechler, was also
brought to justice.
" The Hypocrite of the Year A ward: Hayden Fry. Who else? After
criticizing Schembechler for complaining about the crowd noise at Iowa
when the Hawks won 12-10, the Iowa leader cried endlessly about the
crowd at Ohio State which raised hell when the Bucks beat Fry's boys 22-
13.
Speaking of Iowa...
" The "I'm Too Tired To Get Off My Butt "A ward: Larry Station.
Anybody who votes this lazy Iowa linebacker for any post-season awards
better think twice because this guy unfairly delayed the Purdue game by
not getting back in position for a final play that could have been a game-
winning touchdown for the Spoilermakers - and a Rose Bowl 'trip for
Michigan.
" The Play of the Year A ward: John Kolesar's 77-yard touchdown
catch against Ohio State. It was the play that broke the Buckeyes' back
and will be remembered for years to come.
" The "I'm Out of Space"A ward: Me
Michigan
No. Name Pos. Ht.
2 Bob Cernak ........................... QB 6-2
3 Russ Rein....d........................ QB 6-0
4 Jim Harbaugh....................... QB 6-3
5 Erik Campbell........................KWR 5-10
k John Whitledge.......................KQB 6-2
6 Demetrius Brown................... QB 6-
6 Pat Moons......................... PK 58
7 Rick Sutkiewicz .................... PK 5-8
8 Doug Mallory......................... DB 6-1
9 Dwayne Freeman ................... DB 6-3
9 Michael Taylor ........................ QB 6-1
10 Kyle Anderson ........................ RB 6-1
10 Greg Randall ......................... DB 6-1
12 Ernie Bock .......................DB 5-11
12 Chrislurbrugg....................QB 6-1
13 Garland Rivers ....................... DB 6-1
14 Mike DeBoer .......................... P 6-2
14 Tony Gant ...........................DB 6-0
15 David Arnold ...................... DB 6-3
15 Don Lessner. ....................DB 5-10
16 Scott Crawford ........................ QB 6-3
17 Ivan Hicks ...........................,DB 6-2
18 Mike Jones............................TE 6-3
19 Mike Gillette ....................PK/P 6-1
20 Anthony Mitchell ...................... WR 5-11
20 Bob Stites............................. LB 5-11
21 Gene Lawson ......................... WR 5-10
21 Olatide Ogunfitidimi.................. WR 6-0
22 Gerald White ....................FB/RB 6-0
23 Jamie Morris ...................RB/WR 5-7
23 John Zingales ......................... DB/K 5-10
24 Bobby Abrams ........................ DB 6-4
25 Rick Hassel ...........................DB 6-0
25 Rick Stites......................... LB 5-11
26 Gilvanni Johnson..................WR 6-1
26 Gulam Khan .......................... PK 5-8
27 Thomas Wilcher ...................... TB 5-10
28 Ed Hood .............................. DB 5-10
29 Geoff Bissell .......................... WR 6-1
29 Tim Schulte........................... OLB 6-3
30 Brad Cochran ......................... DB 6-3
31 Ken Higgins........................... WR 6-2
32 Mike Edwards ........................ DB 6-2
33 Jeff Akers ............................ ILB 6-2
33 Phil Logas ........................... SE 5-11
34 Sean LaFountaine ..................... WR 6-0
35 Diete' Heren.....................OLB 6-3
35 Vince Washington. .................. FLK 5-10
36 Brad Burrows ......................... LB 6-3
37 Bob Perryman ........................ FB 6-1
38 Ken Mouton.......................... DB 6-0
39 John Willingham ...................... ILB 6-3
40 John Kolesar .......................... FLK 6-0
41 Todd Schulte.....................ILB 6-3
42 Mike Mallory....................ILB 6-2
43 Steve Woroniecki.................DB 5-11
43 Monte Robbins ..................... P 64
44 Dan Holloway ......................... OLB 6-2
45 Pat Fitzgerald ........................ SE 5-9
45 Mike Reinhold....................MG 6-3
46 Phil Webb ......................... RB 6-1
48 Ernie Holloway ....................... RB 5-10
49 Andy Moeller ........................ ILB 5-0
50 David Weil ........................... OG 6-4
51 John Duerr ....................... OLB 6-3
51 Mike Krauss. ....................OG 6-4
52 Frank Petroff......................... DL 6-4
53 Chris Simmons ........................ OLB 6-2
54 Andree McIntyre..................ILB 6-1
56 Joe Boyden ....................... C/LB 6-3
56 Billy Harris........................... MG 6-0
57 John Althouse ......................... LB 6-3
57 Dave Dever....... ................. OG 6-4
58 Keith Cowan....................... OLB 6-0
59 Brian Reid .......................OG 6-5
60 Mark Messner ........................ DL 6-3
61 John Plantz........................... OT 6-5
62 Chris D'Esposito ...................... OG 6-2
64 Dave Chester ......................... OG 6-2
65 John"Mihic-........................OL 6-4
65 Derrick Walker ....................... ILB 6-1
66 Mike Hammerstein ................... DT 6-4
67 John vitale ...........................O & 6-1
68 Andy Borowski ...................... C 64
69 Dave Herrick.....................C 64
70 Mark Erhardt......................... OT 6-6
71 Pat Oszewski......................... OT 6-8
72 John Elliott ........................... OT 6-7
73 Robert dePalma ...................... OT 6-5
74 Mike Husar...........................OG 6-3
75 Jerry Quaerna....................OT 6-7
76 Michael Dames...................OG 6-2
77 Bob Tabachino................... C/OG 6-2
78 Mark Hammerstein ................ OT 6-4
79 Clay Miller......................... OT 64
80 Jeffrey Brown ..................... TE 64
81 Eric Kattus.......................TE 6-6
82 Paul Schmerge........................ TE 6-2
84 Paul Jokisch .......................... SE 6-8
85 Jim Scarcelli....................... OLB 6-5
86 Steve Thibert...................... OLB 6-5
88 Scott Mandel.....................TE 6-2
88 Brent White ........................... DT 6-5
90 Keith Mitchell......................... TE 64
91 Jack Walker ......:........
92 Keith Cooper ...............
93 David l+olkertsma ..........
95 J.J. Grant.. ..........
96 John Herrmann...........
97 Joseph Holland.............
97 Dave Mandel..............
97 Marty Shimko..............
99 Carlitos Bostic...........
NeL
Daily Photo by DAN HABIB
Michigan tight end Eric Kattus shows who he thinks is number one after
catching a touchdown pass against Purdue. The 6-6 senior finished the
year with a team-leading eight touchdown receptions.
Name
Dale Klein..............
von Sheppard ..........
Gary Schneider.........
Guy Rozier..............
Brian Washington.......
Keith Jones............
McCathorn Clayton......
Ray Nelson............
Mike Otte ..............
Jeff Taylor............
Jeff Tomjack...........
Clete Blakeman.........
Travis Turner..........
Scott Hill................
Cleo Miller............
Brian Pokorny..........
Bryan Siebler..........
Paul Miles...............
Doug DuBose...........
Roger Lindstrom........
Dan Casterline.........
Matt Strasburger........
Tom Rathman ...........
Dennis Watkins ..........
John Custard...........
Dan Thayer............
Gene Chealy...........
Brian Davis............
Dana Brinson............
Todd Proffitt...........
Kevin Parsons..........
Doug Welniak..........
Steve Forch............
Blake Henning...........
John Kelley............
Marc Munford..........
Mike Carl ..............
Todd Millikan ........... .
Mike Knox............
Chris Carr.............
Chad Daffer.............
Dan Wingard...........
Micah Heibel...........
Ken Kaelin............
Danny Groskurth........
Jeff Sellentin...........
Mark Cooper...........
Jack Noel.............
Keven Lightner.........
Pete Lawrence.........
Jim Dittiner.............
John McCormick.......
John Nichols...........
Brad Johnson..........
Tim Roth................
Phil Rogers............
Ron Galois............
Bill Lewis .............
Tom Welter...........
Brian Blankenship.........
Rob Maggard..........
Todd Carpenter.........
Stan Parker...........
Mike Hoefler..........
Chris Spachman........
Tim Rother .............
Todd Frain............
Brad Smith............
Paul Gangwish.........
Gregg Reeves.........
Robb Schnitzler........
Jason Gamble..........
Tom Banderas.........
Rod Smith ............
Scott Tucker...........
Brian Moore.............
Tony Holloway.........
Neil Smith............
Rod Reynolds.........
Brian Hiemer.........
Danny Noonan. .........
Jim Skow.... .......
Tony Palmer..........
Lee Jones ............
Ken Shead ............
IF THEY ONLY
HAD 24 HOUR
BANKING...
They wouldn't be
standing in line!
" 17Branch Locations
" 15 CONVENIENT
24 HOUR BANKING
Locations
Iwo F OF
O FDIR0
AMEIASM
Member FDIC
Kattus
... glad to be back
telling you to do something else," said
the b.g.s. major. "You have three
coaches telling you to do three dif-
ferent things. Michigan puts most of
its emphasis on blocking, though."
THAT MAY BE a surprise for some
people who think that the tight end is
primarily a weapon for the passing at-
tack. Kattus enjoys all aspects of the
game, however.
"I love getting hit and I love
blocking," he said. "I think it's very
satisfying to make a good block and
then have the back make a big gain.
That's just as good as catching a pass
for me."
Kattus may soon have to adjust to
an entirely new lifestyle of blocking
and getting hit in the NFL. If he
makes it, he will be one of only a han-
dful of former Michigan receivers in
the pros. Not bad for a guy who just a
year ago could count his career recep-
tions on one hand.
MIMIIMI MAIM-I I I I M IIIIrI4111M o r