The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1169070
OCTOBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 19 "It just shows the type of player and the type of man you've got here," Kemp observed. "Ben, ever since he's been here, has always been that way. It's just been a waiting game for him to be a captain. "He's set the example. In our class, he was one of the first guys to play, and even got to start freshman year. He's always been a leader in that manner. "Being a two-time captain, it just shows that his preaching, and what he's been doing in his actions, it all means something. You don't get to be a two-time captain by mistake." Bredeson brushed aside questions about expecting to again become a captain, noting: "It's very special. Being able to be trusted by your teammates, be a representative and a leader for them, it's the biggest honor you can have here." It's an honor with responsibilities he hopes to hone toward even more effective guidance of those around him. He discovered, during a 10-3 year in 2018, how differently team- mates reacted to various approaches. "Leadership is definitely a trial- and-error thing," Bredeson offered. "I found some things that worked, found some things that didn't work. Certain guys you can motivate, cer- tain guys you've got to put your arm around. I had some good experiences and some bad experiences last year. I'm just using all that to be better the second time around. "Last year, some guys kind of needed a calming presence in there during game days. That's what I tried to be. Keep 'em cool, keep 'em collected, and don't overreact during games." Bredeson revealed deep-seeded values when he acknowledged to teammates and coaches one of his biggest points of pride on Michigan's trip to South Africa in the spring — nobody got in any sort of trouble. That's a big deal to someone com- mitted to good leadership. "It's someone that's always on their stuff, doing the right thing," Bredeson said, regarding what he looks for in a mentor. "A good leader is someone who leads by example, and a great leader is someone who brings others along with him. We've got a lot of good and a lot of great leaders on this team. I think that's going to take us far." He wants to go far in his last cam- paign at Michigan — farther than the Wolverines went a year ago. Bredeson still carries some scars from 2018, ones he'd like to get past in the coming months. "There's a lot of motivation behind this year," he said. "We've had some finishes in my time here that you'd like to change, especially with bowl games and the Ohio State games. "I think this team's a lot more fo- cused, a lot more driven towards a common goal of just getting better every single day and not looking too far ahead. We're just focused on what needs to get done, whether that's a workout, a practice or a game. We're just sticking together and seeing how far we can go." Without question, he assured, it's good to be captain of a team consid- ered a strong contender for the Big Ten championship. "Absolutely," he said before the season began. "I was talking to Coach the other day, and this is the most excited I've been for a football season in my entire life. I don't know if that's just the senior year thing. I think it's more the guys we have see- ing the attitude the guys are using. "It's a loaded schedule. It's nice when we've got a lot of those big games at home, too. It makes it a lit- tle more fun. There's an opportunity to do really well." There's no question Bredeson will do well in his reprised role as cap- tain, noted running backs coach Jay Harbaugh. "Ben is a guy who, day in and day out, is a captain," Harbaugh said. "He's not going to change where, Senior guard Ben Bredeson is a rare two-time team captain at Michigan, while classmate and defensive tackle Carlo Kemp was elected despite recording just 20 tackles prior to the start of his final campaign. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN