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.

