The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 9, 2000 - 19A WA RREN AT WAR By Jon Schwartz and Dan Williams - Daily Sports Writers t Michigan, superstar athletes are a dime a dozen. The athletic program has always been blessed with many highly-talented and decorat- ed competitors who have been intent on bringing honor to themselves and their university. But, amongst all of those success stories, Joe Warren has managed to separate himself. With an unyielding intensity, an unwavering desire for athletic prosperity and an unabashed confidence that could best be com- pared to NBA legend Charles Barkley, Warren has established himself as a unique character in the world of Michigan sports. But, like Sir Charles, Warren is missing something - the tangible hardware. For a man who expects so much of himself, Warren's near-successes have become something of a personal tragedy. After finishing second in the 133-pound weight class at the Big Ten championships in 1998 and again in 1999, Warren slipped to a third-place finish at this year's tournament that was held March 4-5. His final shot at a conference championship fell short. "'ve had to deal with a lot of those losses," Warren said. "Losing the Big Tens twice and getting dropped out of nationals, that's not stuff that I thought was going to happen to me." Now, an NCAA title is the only thing that can cure what ails him. In the past, Warren has failed to finish in the top eight at NCAAs. But now in his final season of wrestling eligibility, Warren has emerged as perhaps the Wolverines' best hope for an individual national championship. Despite being injured for much of the season, Warren will likely go into the March 16-18 NCAA Championship in St. Louis as the No. 4 seed in his weight class. He believes his intensity will lead him to a national title, something that Michigan has not expe- rienced since current assistant coach Kirk Trost won the heavyweight division in 1986. "My ability to be calm while I'm intense and focused is the reason why I'm going to win the nation- al championship," Warren said. "I feel that I can do it, and I'm going to do everything I can to get it." Warren's exceptional intensity is apparently innate, as it first manifested itself at a young age. "I think maybe when I was younger, all of my friends beat me (in wrestling)," Warren said. "All of my friends were really good so I was trying to get so much better just to be able to compete with them. I think I always wanted to win. I always wanted to be the best at the sport." In Warren's formative years in Grand Rapids, he progressed from a novice wrestler into a legitimate col- lege prospect. Through the various summer camps he attended, Warren learned that wrestling's physical, one-on-one style required a higher level of competition. The expe- riences taught him that wrestling is a war - to suc- ceed, one has to accept it as a way of life. "You have to be competitive to be a wrestler," he said, describing his experiences at several wrestling camps, including one run by Steve Fraser - a three- time All-American at Michigan. "It's hard to go out there and say that I'm going to let this guy beat the crap out of me." Despite the recruitment offers that Warren received from national powers such as Iowa and Minnesota - the two teams that placed first and second, respective- ly at this year's Big Tens - he chose Michigan. But choosing to be a Wolverine didn't mean that he expected to make a major impact in his first year. In fact, he didn't even expect to start. "Making the team my freshman year was a pretty cool moment for me because I never thought I was going to do it," he said. "No one thought I was going to come in and wrestle." But wrestle he did, notching a 15-12 record as a 126- pound freshman before redshirting the next season. During the next three years, Warren built a winning resume and the reputation of a guy who walks an emo- tional tight rope. Michigan State coach Tom Minkel has been a first- hand witness to Warren's compulsion for victories. Michigan State junior Pat McNamara and Warren have developed a fierce rivalry. "Any time you see the same opponent in big match- es over a period of time, it probably does take on a per- sonal element," Minkel said. Warren's elimination in the Big Ten tournament the last two years has come in close losses to McNamara, and he is openly frustrated by this fact. A final rematch between the competitors could occur in St. Louis, where Warren will also record his 100th win with a victory in the first round. "It's not that I'm ever even close to afraid of this kid," Warren said. "We just have different styles. I don't want to meet (McNamara) again, but if we do, I don't know how I could lose to him." Minkel said that the intensity and confidence of both wrestlers have fueled the rivalry. "That's a style that has worked for (Warren)," Minkel said. "It probably gets to the edge sometimes. McNamara is not as flamboyant as Joe, but he's also intense." To Michigan coach Joe McFarland, Warren's attitude is simply a tool that helps him to be successful. "He wrestles with a lot of emotion when he's out there. That's what gets wins for him," McFarland said. "I think there are a lot of guys out there who don't want to wrestle him. There's a lot of fear in his opponents The coach has no trouble identifying with Warren. In the 1980s, McFarland was a two-time runner-up at the NCAA tournament for the Wolverines with a very similar style to his proteg6. Even when McFarland was an assistant, Warren regarded him as his coach. It was McFarland, after all, who recruited Warren: It was McFarland who worked directly with the lower weight classes: It was McFarland who always tried to help Warren control his intensity and use it as a weapon. "I think this year with coach McFarland talking to me, my focus is so much better," Warren said of the impact that his coach had in getting him through his disappointing Big Ten performance. "In prior years, a loss would affect me for a while just because it was a loss. Now, I know I lost Big Tens, but 1, know I can come back and win nationals. "I think coach McFarland is the reason that a lot of guys come here." And Warren feels that McFarland's success is proven by the tough young team waiting to take to the mats for the last time this season. His biggest regret, besides not having been able to add to Michigan's trophy case yet, is that he only got one year with the current squad. "I would have liked to have these guys around when I was a lot younger," Warren said. "They're going to win the Big Tens and the nationals." Following in the footsteps of his mentor, Warren's wrestling years will not end at the NCAAs. Like McFarland, he plans to embark on an international career. Warren feels that because of the help he has received, he is ready to compete for his country upon hanging up his school's singlet. "I have coach McFarland who got a silver in the World Championships and won a World Cup," he said. "Trost was in all of those too. (Four-time Michigan All- America John) Fisher and (current Michigan assistant coach Sean) Boimet, those guys are trying out for that too. I get to see them working hard for that, so it kind of gives me more motivation." No one should be surprised if the similarities between McFarland and Warren do not end at interna- tional competition. Warren expresses interest in taking his act to the sidelines as a coach. His intensity com- bined with his love for the game makes him a valid candidate. SAM lULL ENHwA D/UDily In practice or in the heat of battle, they don't come much more intense than Joe Warren. His last chance to make a material impact on the program comes at the NCAAs next week. Outgoing football seniors shine in Indy By Ron Garber and David Mosse Daily Sports Writers INDIANAPOLIS - For most seniors, second semester is a time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the beauti- ful weather. But for seven Michigan football players, these four months could be the most important of their lives. They were last seen at Pro Player MICHIGAN ium celebrat- - S their grueling N Orange Bowl vic- tory. While one might think that the off-season would be a time for recov- cry, there was no rest for the weary. As the returning Wolverines began prep- ping for the upcoming season, quarter- back Tom Brady and the other seniors with NFL aspirations started training forlast week's NFL Scouting Combine. 'I've been working like crazy since j weeks after the Orange Bowl," nsive lineman Josh Williams said. "ive scheduled workouts in the morn- ing and afternoons around my classes." While Williams opted to work with Michigan's coaching staff, fullback Aaron Shea hired personal trainer Tom Shaw to assist in his preparations. These three, along with wide receiv- e(.,arcus Knight and linebackers Ian Gold, James Hall and Dhani Jones, formed one of the largest collections of players from any single school. Tennessee had the most with nine. While these players competed for four years in the rugged Big Ten, their draft positions could hinge on four days spent completing physical drills and psychological testing at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Tackles and touchdowns have been replaced by times in the 40 and vertical jumps. "The combine is really the start of the draft season," Sports Illustrated football writer Peter King said. The combine was especially impor- tant for Brady, who hoped to answer scouts' questions about his mobility and arm strength. With this year's quar- terback crop considered weak, and the need for quarterbacks in the NFL par- ticularly strong, Brady had an opportu- nity to elevate himself to early round status. With the exception of his 40 yard dash time, which was second slowest among all quarterbacks, Brady had a good workout and caught the eye of several NFL coaches. "I sure wouldn't mind having him," Cincinnati Bengals coach Bruce Coslet said. "I think he can definitely be a starter in this league. He doesn't have the numbers that (top quarterback prospects) Chad Pennington and Chris Redman have, but he played against bigger and better competition." Coslet's sentiments were echoed by top NFL scout Gil Brandt, who was particularly impressed with the tough- ness Brady displayed while sharing playing time with Drew Henson. "I like Brady a lot," Brandt said. "The fact that he stuck in there at Michigan says something about his character. He could have gone back home to San Mateo and cried." Brady wasn't the only Michigan player who helped himself at the com- bine. Aaron Shea surprised some with his display of athletic ability by posting a vertical leap of 37". Shea is now regarded as one of the draft's top full- backs. "They have me rated as the second best fullback," Shea said. "Sonic teams have me first. I'm hoping to go in the second or third round." But Shea is not satisfied and hopes to improve upon his 40 time of 4.8 sec- onds when scouts come to Michigan this month for Pro Day. "There is too much waiting around in there" Shea said. "You run and then you wait and then you run again. You tighten up in between." Another Wolverine hoping to improve his 40 time is wide receiver Marcus Knight. His time of 4.66 was slower than the 4.4-4.5 he was hoping for. Like Shea, Knight predicts a better performance in Ann Arbor. "The track here was slow," Knight said. "I know I can run a lot faster at Oosterbaan during our Pro Day." Knight arrived at the combine riding a wave of momentum from his four- touchdown, MVP performance at the East-West Shrine Game, a performance Knight feels catapulted his draft status. "The East-West Game was a bless- ing," Knight said. "I think it helped me a lot. I've heard that I'm anywhere from a second to fifth rounder." On the defensive side of the ball, Ian Gold looks to spearhead Michigan's dynamic trio of linebackers, all of whom figure to be drafted. Gold ran the fastest 40 time (4.58) of any line- backer at the combine. His workout caught the eye of Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy. "Gold is our type of guy," Dungy said. "He's fast, he strikes, and he's quick to the ball. He's gonna play in this league and play well." Despite his speed, the knock on Gold is that at 221 pounds, he is too small to play linebacker in the NFL. "We've heard that about other guys like (Buccaneer stars) Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn and they became pretty good" Dungy said. At 271 pounds James Hall has a dif- ferent problem, that of which position he is best suited for. He played line- backer for the Wolverines, but some scouts envision him as a defensive end in the NFL. "I can play defensive end and line- backer, whatever they ask me to do," Hall said. "It just depends on the defense I play in." Dhani Jones also impressed the scouts by bench pressing 225 pounds 29 times, more repetitions than any other linebacker. While his perfor- mance may have moved him up, Jones was unconcerned with his potential draft position. "I don't care where I get picked," Jones said. "I just want a job." Josh Williams seemed to capture the sentiment of all the Wolverines at the combine. "I'm not gonna be picky" Williams said. "I just feel fortunate I have the opportunity to move on and play at the next level." .orkout Warriors SeversMichigan players performed for coaches and scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis Feb. 25-28. Here is how they fared at the combine's Premier events. Player T Brady A. Shea .M. Knight Gold .Hall Williams Hr. 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-3 Wt. 211 25.3 180 221 240 271 282 40 5.27 4.80 4.66 4.58 4.69 5.03 4.88 Vertical 24-1/2 37-1/2 28-1/2 33 32 30-1/2 Long lump Shuttle Cne 8-3 9-6 8-10 9-7 4.38 4.3 4.38 4.19 4.51 4.25 7.2 6.72 7.11 6.97 7.86 7.22 LOUIS BROWN/Dail Tom Brady hopes that his heroic performance in the Orange Bowl was not the end of his playing days, as he showcased his skills in the NFL Combine. 9-3 9-3 -4-- Camp Michigania Alumni Association of the University of Michigan Working at the University of Michigan alumni camp is a rewarding and exciting opportunity. Since 1961 Camp Michigania has been a treasured experience for thousands of UM alumni and their families. Those who serve as staff members have countless opportunities for personal and pro- fessional growth. A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO, INVESTIGATE MEDICAL SCHOOLS... What are the admissions requirements? Who are the successful applicants? Where should you apply? S The Medical Scf;hoolo- Si * S : INFORMATION FAIR "....."."........"".......".."...e..""SISS."""...""..."""s" Wednesday, March 15 10:00AM - 2:00PM Michigan Union f/ Make lifelong friendships. Develop leadership skills. r r' i sa a ysa F''s-ralik s tl2a Sear of 0 donor" ..a ~i.::........ _. .aiw..