8A - Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Stairs
shape
up wide
recei ver
By SCOTT BELL
Daily Sports Editor
Sixty straight days. Sunday to Sunday. No
mornings off.
For two months this summer, wide receiver
Adrian Arrington not only had to earn his way
back into Michigan coach Lloyd Carr's good
graces, but also onto the Michigan football
team.
Arrington accumulated two strikes during
his redshirt sophomore season - a domestic
violence charge that was eventually dismissed
and another for an undisclosed reason - that
led to his temporary dismissal from the team
last spring.
To get back on it, Arrington didn't just have
to avoid the dreaded third strike, he also had
to put up with some of Carr's patented tough
love.
"I wanted to be here, that's why I did it,"
Arrington said. "Otherwise I wouldn't have
done it. I wanted to be here. I'm proud to be
at Michigan."
Arrington arrived at the Big House at 6 a.m.
each morning to run the thousands of steps
inside the nation's largest football stadium.
Carr was there monitoring his former player
for the first 30 days of the summer. After the
first month went smoothly, Carr's assistants
took turns monitoring the humbled receiver's
every move the rest of the summer.
"I'd just be thinking about that I want to be
back on this team- how bad I want tobe back
on this team," said Arrington of his thoughts
while going through his punishment.
His desire showed, and , Carr allowed
Arrington to rejoin the Wolverines after he
successfully completed Carr's conditioning
program. Now, back with the team, the Big
Ten's most underrated player (according to
Mike Hart) has gotten off to a solid start this
season.
The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has 10
catches for 121 yards and a score and is one
of the few bright spots for a Michigan offense
that has stumbled early in the season.
The highlight of his young season was the
Captain returns
for degree, glory
Wide receiver Adrian Arrington has had his ups and downs as a Wolverine, and now, he's using those h
and turning them into production on the field. He has already caught an acrobatic touchdown this seasor
By ANDY REID
Daily Sports Writer
In seventh grade, senior
Kristen Tiner had a decision to
make.
Run with or without a stick in
her hand. ,
Tiner, who had planned to
spend that fall running cross
country, was first introduced
to field hockey by her middle
school's field hockey coach.
The choice between the two
sports wasn't difficult. Field
hockey shares similarities with
soccer, a sport Tiner, now in
her fifth year at Michigan, had
played. The Houston native
excelled as soon as she hit the
field.
Tiner posted 119 career points
in high school, ranking her sec-
ond on the all-time list at the
Kinkaid School. She gained
national recognition for her play
and was named to the All-Amer-
ica second team in her junior
and senior years.
After receiving such acco-
lades,therecruitingtrailbecame
well-worn through Tiner's
hometown. Her eventual college
choice came. down to Michigan
and perennial Atlantic Coast
Conference powerhouse North
Carolina.
Fortunately for the Wolver-
ines, Stephanie and Shelley
Johnson, Kinkaid School alum-
ni, had decided to callAnn Arbor
home. The Johnsons, who also
played field hockey at Michigan,
helped sway Tiner away from
the Tar Heels.
But there were other advan-
tages to coming to Michigan
than just having a hometown
connection, Tiner said.
"I just loved Michigan and all
of the athletic tradition here,"
Tiner said. "Coming from Texas,
I'm a huge football fan. So hav-
ing a big football program was
very important to me."
Tiner redshirted her fresh-
man year and used the extra
year of eligibility to add to her
already sizeable workload in
school. A Business student with
a focus in sales and marketing,
Tiner picked up a second major
in English.
Many redshirted field hockey
players do not opt to come back
for a fifth year, but Tiner said she
planned to return all along.
"Academically, especially
with a double major, I thought (a
fifth year) was really valuable to
me," Tiner said. "And then I just
wasn't ready to be done play-
ing."
As the only fifth-year senior
on the roster, Tiner's role as a
team leader has grown exponen-
tially. She's also a team captain
this season.
Tiner takes it as her responsi-
bility to instill in the underclass-
men the traditions she's learned
during her four years on the
Michigan field hockey program.
And according to freshman
Meredith Way, she's done a great
job.
"Coming in as a freshman,
it's a little overwhelming," Way
said. "But Tiner really showed
us around and helped us feel
comfortable, and made us feel
like none of us were freshman."
Despite what the No. 15 Wol-
verines' 2-6 record might sug-
gest, this team has bonded well
under Tiner's captaincy. Michi-
gan's sub-.500 start could be the
result of the competition.
Michigan has played four
teams that were ranked in the
top three at the time, including
an overtime loss to then-No. 1
Maryland. The Wolverines have
only played one game against a
non-top 10 opponent.
The team hopes to turn things
around this weekend with
games against No. 16 Louisville
and Vermont, both of whom are
ranked below Michigan.
And Tiner said the team's
never been more ready for the
challenge.
"This is one of the most cohe-
sive teams and one of the great-
est group of girls I've ever been
with," she said. "I couldn't ask
for a better team."
touchdown catch he brought down to give
Michigan an early 7-3 lead against Oregon last
weekend..
On the play, Arrington leapt for the ball in
the back of the endzone, bringing it in and get-
ting a foot down before falling out of bounds
for the touchdown.
"I think Adrian, when I looked at him last
Saturday, he was outstanding," Carr said.
"Adrian Arrington in my mind had one of his
best games at Michigan."
Carr cited improved blocking as another
reason why Arrington has played so well this
year.
Arrington's strong season hasn't come out
of nowhere. Last year, he became the team's
No. 1 receiving option when Mario Manning-
ham went down with a knee injury.
He pulled down a team-high 40 catches to
go along with his 544 yards and eight touch-
downs. It's those stats that make Hart's pre-
season prediction not sound crazy.
But Arrington won't let high expectations
get to his head.
"I'd like to be looked at like that, butI don't
know," Arrington said in August. "I just want
my play on the field to do the talking."
He's also trying to let his off-field behavior
do the talking for him. Arrington, who says
his nights out have been replaced by watch-
ing DVDs and playing video games, says he's
matured a lot over the past year.
Arrington said the miles and miles he ran
each week this summer has put him in the best
shape of his life.
He has used his new speed and endurance as
to motivate teammates and lead by example.
"I came back and conditioning-wise, me and
Mike Hart, and I would say Johnny Sears, we
were in top of everything conditioning-wise,"
Arrington said. "Running groups, especially
long distance runs, we were out in front of
everybody."
Arrington's teammates have called him as
a leader on the team, and Carr has regained
enough trust in him to use him as a spokes-
person for the team.at its weekly press confer-
ence.
And while his play on the field this season
has won him back some fans in the stands,
Arrington has also regained one on the side-
lines. Just ask Carr.
"I like Adrian I like him personally," Carr
said. "He's had some challenges butis an easy-
going guy that has a lot of ability in a lot of
areas, and hopefully he can do the things that
will enable him to fulfill his potential before
he leaves Michigan."
I
4
V I
Cordially invites University of Michigan Juniors and Seniors
to a presentation and reception
On
Thursday, September 20th 2007
Ross School of Business
Career Development Center
5:00 PM
Career Analyst Interv
Summer Analyst Int
Seniors interested in interviewing for Analyst positions
in our Investment Banking Group
should submit resumes and cover letters through iMpact
by October 4th
For additional information, please contact:
Anna Woodward: (212) 632-6224
* Positions available in New'York, San Francisco, Chicago