The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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was motivated to step in and play right away as a freshman, and he did." The 6-2, 178-pound cornerback ap- peared in seven games in his rookie year, but by the end of the 2013 sea- son he would not have been anyone's pick for a future breakout player. Part of that was because, Strib- ling admits, he didn't eat, breath and sleep football, handicapping his own progress, but there was also the lasting memory of Penn State wide receiver Allen Robinson ripping the ball out of Stribling's grasp for two key first downs in the Nittany Lions' game-tying, final-minute touchdown drive; PSU would win 43-40 in triple overtime. Stribling was in perfect position on both completions, standing between the ball and the wideout, poised to knock the passes down or even inter- cept them. Instead, he fell to the turf helpless following 14- and 36-yard connections that allowed the Blue and White to pull off a miraculous comeback. Those are the kind of plays that could haunt a young player, and for a time, they did, psyching out Stribling, who struggled to put consistently strong practices together his sopho- more year. "I had some good days in prac- tice, some great days, and other days would be just OK," he said. "The bad plays I had in the past — those mis- takes got me down. But growing up, I've recognized this is college foot- ball and it happens. And if it does happen, you have to come back and make a play." Stribling has taken an interesting approach to dealing with his past struggles, choosing to watch the clips over and over again so they sit with him as constant motivation. "I watch those plays once a month because I want to know the mis- takes I made so that if the opportu- nity happens again … I know that won't happen again," he said with conviction. "The first one, I had to get my hands up higher. The ball got lost in the lights, and I put my hands down. The last play, I was young so I thought the ball was going to come down straight, but [Penn State quar- terback] Christian Hackenberg has a great arm. His ball kept sailing, and it sailed on me. "Everyone says, 'He ripped the ball out,' but it was on me the most. That's why it hurt because it was mostly me misjudging the ball more than him making a great play. "So I watch to remember. I use it to help my focus and concentration." By the nature of his position, Strib- ling is forced to move on to the next DIGITAL BONUS: CLICK THE ICON TO PLAY OR STOP THE PODCAST Former Wolverine Ryan Van Bergen discusses the success of the defensive line.