ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There’s a reason why, despite not having much production in his first two years, Mike Sainristil was active on Michigan football’s leadership council in his third year with the program. And why he was subsequently named a team captain in his senior year.
And again in his fifth year.
The Everett (Mass.) cornerback has his finger on the pulse of the team and was crucial when it came to helping the culture change in 2021, leading to the Wolverines’ turnaround from 2-4 to 12-2 with a Big Ten Championship. The maize and blue repeated in 2022, going 13-1, and is hopeful that it can get a third-straight championship in the conference this year.
But what makes him so effective as a leader? The three-year wide receiver who switched to nickel last year has learned that leadership requires a multitude of methods. Part of it is leading by example, some of it is pushing players. But it’s also about knowing specifically what each of his teammates may need in a certain moment. Which means he pays close attention to everything going on in the locker room beyond his own skill set.
“The way I am as a leader, I do my best to read the room. And then, as you figure out who your teammates are, every person needs a little something different,” Sainristil said. “Some people you can’t talk to a certain way, some people you can talk to a certain way. Some people need more of a push than other people.
“So I think the way you lead as you lead a whole unit is, one, you let them see what you do. You say what you mean to them, and then you mean what you say, as well. And then after that, whatever you say, you have to live up to what you say. But at the end of the day, leaders aren’t perfect. Leaders need people around them that also will help them move up, move up, move up. And I think, with the leaders that we have, the group of captains we have, we all balance each other well, and I believe we’re gonna do a great job this year of leading this team.”
Given that Sainristil has been in a leadership position for three years now, and in his second year of being voted a team captain by his teammates, his example will go a long way toward taking those who are still growing as players and getting them into the right mindset — as well as the right position on the field — to help the maize and blue chase another championship.
The season is set to begin on Saturday when the Wolverines host East Carolina for a noon kickoff at The Big House.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]