A long-rumored blow to the Michigan football defense was confirmed Wednesday.
Senior safety Rod Moore, who started the second half of his freshman year, suffered a serious injury earlier this spring. New defensive backs coach Lamar Morgan did not go into details about the injury, but told reporters Wednesday afternoon in Ann Arbor that Moore is out and will require surgery.
“Let's quickly talk about Rod,” Morgan began. “When that guy gets hurt, the next day he's in the front row of every meeting. He's not missing anything. He's asking questions. He's just incredible. People, but that's the culture we have here.
“He's going to be here every day and spend time with us in practice and coaching and things like that. … It's unfortunate that he got hurt, but I'm really looking forward to his future. … Rod's long-term plans I'm not going to go into exactly (prognosis), but one thing I do know is that no matter what happens in front of that kid, he's going to get better. When he gets back on the field. Every time, I’m going to be better than the last time I was on the field.”
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Moore is a 6-foot, 198-pound safety who was the linchpin of UW's last line of defense under the previous defensive system, and although the entire ball-side coaching staff was fired this offseason, Moore was already It has received high praise from some key figures in its early stages.
Defensive coordinator Don Wink Martindale, who coached in the NFL for the past 20 years before coming to Michigan this winter, calls UM's strong safety the best team to do it at the next level this century. compared to one of
“He reminds me of Eric Weddle,” Martindale said during a press conference before the start of spring practice. “And he was one of the smartest safeties I've ever coached. So I called Weddle and told him that.
“In terms of being smart, in terms of football knowledge, it's all about that. … That's exciting for me because you have to make a lot of checks on the field. It's like having a headpiece or an earpiece coming in. “Now that's what I'm used to, so that's great. There'll still be a signal.'' Rod said, “If they go in a hurry, what should we do?'' That's what it feels like. Call the defense. You couldn't be wrong. He's very smart. ”
A two-time All-Big Ten selection, Moore played in 37 games and started 27, including last season, when he finished with 38 tackles, one loss and two interceptions.
Many thought he would be a candidate to join the 18 teammates who were at the NFL combine, but like fellow safety Makari Paige, he is expected to return for his final year in the maize and blue. I chose. The depth in the room was already not what it was in previous years since Keion Sabu, the third safety in the rotation, transferred to Alabama a few months ago. That was made worse by recent injuries.
The most likely replacement is sixth-year defensive back Quinten Johnson, who also has extensive experience. While the team has not explicitly stated that Moore will be out at the end of the year, no one close to the program has explained what the loss of Moore will mean for the team.
“Rod is a very unique player,” Morgan said. “He's a leader, he's at every practice, he's coaching. You know, we're going to miss him, it's hard for everyone here. … But he… If he comes back and does everything he needs to do to get back, he'll probably be here coaching and stuff.
“Anytime he has to have surgery or something like that, we support him throughout the program and everyone is excited about it.”
