The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 — 7A

Hard-headed Houma a man of many talents

By MAX BULTMAN

Daily Sports Editor

Sione Houma is sometimes a 

man of few words, but he’s not a 
man of few talents.

For most of his career, the 

senior fullback from Salt Lake 
City has flown relatively under 
the radar as a fullback on the 
Michigan football team. Prior 
to the 2015 season, Houma had 
caught two passes, returned 
two kickoffs and recorded a 
smattering of tackles.

Most of his work went unseen, 

be it blocking as a fullback or 
contributing on special teams.

But when Jim Harbaugh was 

signed to coach the Wolverines 
this past winter, that all changed 
for Houma, who already has 22 
carries for 114 yards and three 

touchdowns in 2015, as well as 
five catches for 53 yards.

Suddenly, the player who was 

hadn’t recorded a carry before 
this season is now eighth on the 
team 
in 
all-

purpose yards 
with 167. Last 
week, Houma 
took snaps as a 
running back, 
a development 
that originated 
from 
his 

successes 
running 
fullback dives 
earlier in the 
season. And while he never would 
have expected it, he’s embracing 
his expanding role.

“I got caught (off guard) when 

they (asked) me if I wanted to try 

out at running back,” Houma said.

“Everything 
happens 
for 

a reason, and I’m put in this 
position right now for a reason: to 
help the team out. … That’s what 

I’m here for.”

Houma 
is 

still 
playing 

fullback, 
too, 

but his skills 
are 
more 

visible 
now 

than they ever 
were 
in 
the 

past. 
Against 

Rutgers, 
Houma found 
himself 
wide 

open on a wheel route after a fake 
to Jabrill Peppers drew defenders 
off him.

The play went for a 32-yard 

gain, and were it not for a throw 

that was slightly behind him, 
Houma might have scored.

“Right after that, my little 

brother came and talked to me,” 
Houma said. “He said, ‘You’ve 
gotta high-knee it! High-knee 
it!’ Just critiquing me. He said 
if I high-kneed it, I would have 
scored, because I got shoelace 
tackled.

“I just gotta work on my speed. 

There’s a lot of things I’ve gotta 
work on, and speed is one of 
them.”

Among the things he has 

down, his power run game comes 
to mind as a definitive strength. 
His 5.2 yards per carry are the 
second most of any Wolverine 
with at least 10 carries, trailing 
only junior running back Ty 
Isaac.

And while he often has to 

absorb 
cringe-worthy 
hits, 

Houma is predisposed to the 
power style.

“I’m 
just 
hard-headed,” 

Houma said. “Hard-headed, like, 
football wise. Coming down, if it’s 
me and the linebacker, I’m pretty 
much using all head. I know that’s 
wrong, but it doesn’t really phase 
me as much.

“I think the first couple years I 

was here, a lot of people would be 
having concussions, and — knock 
on wood — I haven’t had one yet. 
So, I’ve just been using that to my 
advantage.”

When 
he 
isn’t 
taking 
a 

pounding on the field, Houma 
likes the same things most 
college kids do. He likes playing 
Super Smash Bros on Nintendo 
64 with junior running back 
Drake Johnson, and he and 

sophomore 
defensive 
tackle 

Bryan 
Mone 
enjoy 
making 

music together. Houma plays the 
ukulele, and Mone provides the 
vocals. Houma’s favorite song 
to play is “Somewhere over the 
Rainbow.”

But don’t let Houma’s musical 

taste fool you into thinking he 
has gotten away from his roots 
doing the dirty work. Even after 
getting a taste of carrying the ball 
and scoring touchdowns, he still 
enjoys blocking for his teammates 
first and foremost.

“That’s my number one deal, 

right there,” Houma said. “It’s 
always protecting the running 
back and quarterback.”

So yes, blocking is still his 

number-one job, but as his role in 
the offense continues to expand, 
it’s far from his only one.

“It’s always 

protecting the 

running back and 

quarterback.”

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