DETROIT — It was something of a surprise when Michigan football running back Blake Corum revealed on a podcast that head coach Jim Harbaugh told him he should go pro following his junior campaign.
Much to the surprise of many, Corum didn’t listen, instead opting to return to Ann Arbor for his senior season.
Why did Harbaugh tell Corum he should hang up his winged helmet? And what was his reaction to Corum’s decision to return? Harbaugh said he thought turning pro was the right move for Corum, but he was beyond enthusiastic about Corum’s decision to stay.
“Yeah, I thought — that was my opinion,” Harbaugh said. “But, he wanted to have a full offseason where he could train and prepare, and be at his best when he went to the combine and bringing his best to a team. I mean, that’s, that’s who he is. And I was quick to say, ‘Hey, I support that as well!’
“But when you know him, it clicks immediately. I mean, that’s who he is. He’s a guy that’s knocking on the door of the weight room at six in the morning. ‘Hey, we can’t let you go until six!’ And he’s maniacal in his preparation and his training, is just on everything and every detail. And I think this really gave him an opportunity to take his time and really get right. That’s one of those guys that’s so (full of) character and who he is as a teammate. It’s up there with the elite, the elite greats.”
The target month for Corum to start running and cutting has long been the month of June. He underwent surgery to repair his meniscus in December. While it’s been a long, hard road to recovery, Harbaugh is optimistic Corum will return better than ever.
If Corum can improve on his already impressive 2022 season, that would mean some scary propositions for opposing defenses.
“He’s been moving around and running and it’s all been in conjunction with the doctors,” Harbaugh said. “He’s been very coachable as a patient as he is as a football player. And he’s getting his conditioning in. It’s much better now than it was a month ago. Still got two months, and these are the two most important months. I anticipate he’s going to be even stronger and faster and better than he was before.”
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