8 — Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Nordin’s three-point self: accurate, loud, Wild
Jim Harbaugh doesn’t find
anything unusual about Quinn
Nordin.
Michigan’s
head
coach
certainly knows Nordin well
— he famously slept over at
Nordin’s house while pursuing
him throughout a long-winded
recruitment.
But
to
his
teammates,
Nordin is an enigma.
“Quinn is an outspoken guy,”
said sophomore receiver Eddie
McDoom. “It’s very funny.
When I see kickers, I don’t see
them as Quinn. Quinn is very
— I don’t know how to explain
Quinn. Quinn is Quinn.”
Given how Michigan’s new
starting kicker has taken the
world of college football by
storm, it’s hard not to believe
McDoom.
Nordin was named the Big
Ten Special Teams Player of
the Week for the second time
in three games this year. He’s
connected on 11-of-13 attempts
this season, tied for the most
in the nation,
and
he’s
been
hugely
important
for
a
Michigan
offense
that
has scored only
one touchdown
in 10 red zone
appearances
this year.
The redshirt
freshman
tied a school
record against Air Force this
past week by hitting five field
goals. Nordin had previously
set a program record in the
season-opening
win
over
then-No. 17 Florida by kicking
two field goals of 50 yards or
more. He’s also well on pace
to shatter Remy Hamilton’s
season record of 25 field goals.
But it takes more than a
strong and accurate leg to
endear a kicker
to
a
national
audience.
In
Nordin’s
case,
what
sets
him
apart
is
his
haircut. It’s the
same look that
Charlie
Sheen’s
character,
nicknamed
“Wild
Thing,”
sported
in
the
popular
1989
film “Major League.” And it
caught the attention of many
fans who viewed the season
opener.
“Ricky Vaughn, the ‘Wild
Thing’ (nickname) — I just
have a mentality as a closer,”
Nordin said after the Florida
game. “When the team needs
me, just go in there (and
execute).”
For
his
teammates,
the
hairdo is just
more evidence
that Nordin —
as
sophomore
defensive
end
Rashan
Gary
opined — has
more flair than
most kickers.
“It’s actually
cool,”
Gary
said.
“I
like
the little swag.
Little
kicker
gotta have something.”
McDoom
—
who
has
a
unique hairstyle of his own —
said Nordin has the demeanor
of a skill position player.
“Quinn’s
a
really
good
friend,” McDoom said. “Just
hanging out with him, I feel
like Quinn is not just a normal
kicker.
In
my
mind,
he’s
just like a normal receiver.
Mentally, he has that vibe
about him, that
demeanor.”
Perhaps
purposefully,
Nordin
hasn’t
given
much
public indication
of
what
that
unique demeanor
is
like.
When
asked about his
success and his
responsibilities,
he’s
mostly
chosen
to
answer
with
platitudes.
“Whatever they call me out
to do, I’m going to do to the
best of my ability,” Nordin said
Saturday night. “If it’s a field
goal or PAT, I’m just going
to try my hardest and put it
through.”
The little details, though,
paint a different picture. The
haircut, the testimonies of his
teammates — and even an old
recruiting video during which
Nordin commits to Penn State
while disembarking a private
plane — show that Michigan’s
kicker, indeed, does not fit the
typical mold for his position.
That certainly wouldn’t be
as endearing to fans — and
perhaps teammates — if Nordin
struggled to make kicks. But
that hasn’t been the case.
“Quinn’s a beast,” Gary said.
“There’ll be times in practice
we go field goal block and he’s
booming 60s. 60s. It’s just
crazy seeing that. Sometimes I
have to look back like, ‘Wow.’
Quinn’s a beast. I’m happy he’s
my kicker.”
Black out for season with foot injury
The No. 8 Michigan football
team (3-0) will be without its
leading receiver when it begins
the Big Ten season this weekend
at Purdue.
Freshman wide receiver Tarik
Black suffered a foot injury
against Air Force and will need
surgery, said Michigan coach
Jim Harbaugh on Monday. Black
has a crack on the outside of his
foot, and Harbaugh said he does
not know if the receiver will
return this season.
However,
later
Monday
evening, Black posted a photo on
Instagram with a caption that
suggested he would be out for
the remainder of the year.
In his first three games
for Michigan, Black made 11
catches for 149 yards and one
touchdown, leading the trio
of starting receivers that also
includes junior Grant Perry and
sophomore Kekoa Crawford.
“Tarik is a big-time player,”
said fellow receiver sophomore
Eddie McDoom. “He can take it
downfield, he’s a fast guy, very
good in his routes and he’s very
smart. For him being that young,
he’s a very good player.”
Added
senior
offensive
lineman Mason Cole: “A kid
that’s that talented and putting
in so much work to perform that
well as a true freshman — to see
him get hurt and miss a lot of
time, it’s tough. You feel for the
kid. … He’s a tough kid. He’ll pull
through just fine.”
Other Wolverines hoped to
give Black their advice. Fifth-
year senior linebacker Mike
McCray couldn’t play his junior
year due to injuries, but felt that
there were still positives he took
away from the experience on the
sideline.
That season, McCray spent
ample time watching film and
learning from older guys on
the team. He hasn’t talked to
Black yet about the injury, but
when he does, he’ll have words
of encouragement. He hopes
the young receiver takes time
to grow his knowledge of the
game.
“Don’t
let
this deter you,”
McCray
said.
“I
know
it’s
hard. You want
to be out there,
but
trust
the
process. You’ll
eventually
be back. Just
grind,
and
you’ll
be
the
same player as before, or even
better.
“…Outside of football, it kind
of makes you think about your
future. It’s one thing I thought
about.”
Filling in for Black will be two
candidates: the aforementioned
McDoom and freshman receiver
Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Peoples-Jones
made
two
catches
for
52
yards
against
Air
Force,
and
notably made the
biggest
impact
last
Saturday
with his 79-yard
punt return for a
touchdown.
Peoples-Jones
fits the same mold
as
Black.
Both
excel when they
line up out wide, and it seems
likely that he’ll replace Black as
the starter. McDoom brings his
own strengths and spoke with
media Monday about his role.
McDoom
didn’t
win
the
starting job this season, and
so far has notched just two
receptions for 14 yards and
three carries for 10 yards.
Despite a lack of regular
playing time, he
has become a fan
favorite. McDoom
endeared himself
to fans with jet
sweeps last year
met with roars of
“Doooooom” from
the
Michigan
crowd.
Though
outside of running
jet sweeps from
the slot position,
McDoom hasn’t had a major
receiving role to this point in his
career.
“I take what I’m given,”
McDoom said. “If I get a jet
sweep, I’ll make the best out of
it. If I get a route, I’ll run that
route and get open.”
With Black’s injury, McDoom
may be forced to line up outside
more often. Even though he
mainly
plays
out of the slot,
he said that he
doesn’t
have
any preference
regarding
where he lines
up.
“On
the
outside,
you
can
go
over
the top, and on
the inside you
can slide through the safeties,”
McDoom said.
Wherever Harbaugh decides
to utilize him, McDoom’s speed
will be his biggest threat.
He plays for three special
teams units — kickoff, punt
return and punt defense — and
when he is on offense, he usually
gets handed the ball in motion.
Few opponents have had an
answer
for
when
McDoom
comes flying across the field.
And
Michigan’s
next
opponent, Purdue (3-0), will
have to prepare to see more
of McDoom than it may have
initially expected. He finally
has the chance to take on a
larger role, but McDoom still
wished his teammate Black the
best of luck in recovery.
“It’s sad to say he had this
injury,” he said. “I hope he
returns very soon, but we have
a game to play this week and
we’re going to prepare for it.”
TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
EVAN AARON/Daily
Freshman wide receiver Tarik Black injured his foot against Air Force on Saturday, and will not be sidelined for the rest of what was a stellar opening season.
For him being
that young, he’s
a very good
player.
He’s a tough
kid. He’ll pull
through just
fine.
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Editor
BY THE NUMBERS
Tarik Black’s freshman campaign
11
Receptions — first among
Michigan receivers.
46
Yard touchdown against
then-No.17 Florida
49.67
Receiving yards per game.
149
Receiving yards — good for
first on the team.
When I see
kickers, I don’t
see them as
Quinn.
The ‘Wild
Thing’ — I just
have a mentality
as a closer.
EVAN AARON/Daily
Redshirt freshman kicker Quinn Nordin is already well on pace to shatter Michigan’s single-season field goal record.