The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/80972
Backing It Up After two long years of starts, stops, in- juries and misfortunes, Toussaint put it all together in 2011. He's healthy, the game has slowed down — and it all just drives him toward wanting more success. "Last year gives me a little bit more swag- ger, knowing what I have to do and knowing what I can do, really believing in myself," he said. He has changed. Although he's a quiet guy, he considers himself more of a leader among the running backs, and he is attack- ing the summer months to get himself in peak physical condition before the start of fall camp. "I want to approach this offseason really hungry," Toussaint said. "Now I know exactly what I have to do, so I can go straight out and do it. I can influence some young guys and allow them to be better in the future. I feel like it kind of builds me up and makes me better as a leader. "I'm going to go out there and do whatever I have to do. Whatever it is, whatever the coaches put on the table, I know I have to do it and do it 10 times harder than any- body else." and allow them to be better in the future. I feel like it kind of builds me up and makes me better as a leader. "I'm going to go out there and do whatever I have to do. Whatever it is, whatever the coaches put on the table, I know I have to do it and do it 10 times harder than any- body else. He has set a lofty goal for himself for the 2012 sea- son: 1,600 yards rushing. Just four running backs in the history of Michigan football have reached that plateau (Tim Biakabutuka, 1,818 in 1995; Anthony Thomas, 1,733 in 2000; Jamie Mor- ris, 1,703 in 1987; Chris Perry, 1,674 in 2003), but Toussaint has put it on the table. Sixteen-hundred yards. Reach that, and enter the upper echelon of elite col- lege football running backs. "I want to say that I had over 1,600 yards. I want to say that I was a monster," Tous- saint said. "That's how I want to look at myself. I usually don't think about myself like that, but when you're dealing with this type of organization — that's had the type of running backs that we've had — it makes you want to be that way." saint said. "That's how I want to look at myself. I usually don't think about myself like that, but when you're dealing with this type of organization — that's had the type of running backs that we've had — it makes you want to be that way. " Toussaint has his sights set on becoming just the fi fth running back in the history of Michi- gan football to rush for 1,600 yards in a single Toussaint has his sights set on becoming just the fi fth running back in the history of Michi- gan football to rush for 1,600 yards in a single season. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Reach that, and enter the upper echelon of elite col- lege football running backs. "I want to say that I had over 1,600 yards. I want to say that I was a monster," Tous- Sixteen-hundred yards. He has set a lofty goal for himself for the 2012 sea- son: 1,600 yards rushing. Just four running backs in the history of Michigan football have reached that plateau (Tim Biakabutuka, 1,818 in 1995; Anthony Thomas, 1,733 in 2000; Jamie Mor- ris, 1,703 in 1987; Chris Perry, 1,674 in 2003), but Toussaint has put it on the " pletely ready for the task at hand. And the coaches took notice. "Fitz is a very hungry young man," run- ning backs coach Fred Jackson said. "He was hurt his first two years, and he didn't get a chance to play. Fitz knows what he wants to do. You don't have to motivate him." Now, he just had to master the mental part. For the first half of the 2011, the Wol- verines threw out a slew of running backs, including Toussaint, senior Michael Shaw, then-junior Vincent Smith and others, and no one made a big enough impact to lay claim to the starting job. The Lights Go On Toussaint was picking up starts, simply by playing first, but the numbers weren't stacking up. In the first five games he played in (Tous- saint was held out of the Wolverines' win over Notre Dame), he gained just saw him do that showed me he didn't have vision at saint was held out of the Wolverines' win over Notre Dame), he gained just 348 yards on 4.8 yards per carry — good for 69.6 yards per game. — good for 69.6 yards per game. "There were things that I saw him do that showed me he didn't have vision at all," Jackson said. "We would run a play that had multiple-hole reads to it. He would get maybe the one cut, and then look toward the next level to decide where the second cut should appear." little bit more swagger, knowing what I have to do and knowing "Last year gives me a what I can do, really believing in myself." TOUSSAINT When he got the ball, Toussaint was re- actionary; he had to become anticipatory to make the next step in his evolution as a to make the next step in his evolution as a running back. Jackson pegs the switch in offensive phi- losophy as something that could have slowed Jackson pegs the switch in offensive phi- losophy as something that could have slowed Toussaint's development. In Rodriguez's wide-open spread scheme, field. In Hoke's more downhill approach, In Rodriguez's wide-open spread scheme, running backs typically read just half the field. In Hoke's more downhill approach, running backs have to see the entire field — and know where second- and third-level running backs have to see the entire field — and know where second- and third-level defenders are going to be. "You have to anticipate what the defense is going to do before it does it," Jackson said. "You have to be patient. He was re- ally quick at a lot of things last year. Now, as you gain patience, and you let the "You have to anticipate what the defense is going to do before it does it," Jackson said. "You have to be patient. He was re- ally quick at a lot of things last year. Now, as you gain patience, and you let the defense unfold, things start to open up for you because you know what should for you because you know what should happen based on what the techniques are." of the year, a disheartening 28-14 loss at Michigan State, Toussaint gained just seven yards on two car- ries. With a bye week slated before the next game, Toussaint refocused his energy. "After that game, I knew I had to buckle down and focus on the main priorities: film study and working on the small things," Toussaint said. "I took care of my body and spent a couple days working on my foot- work, getting some treatment and watching With the extra film work, Toussaint began to see the subtle ways in which patience can In the Wolverines' seventh game of the year, a disheartening 28-14 loss at Michigan State, Toussaint gained just seven yards on two car- ries. With a bye week slated before the "After that game, I knew I had to buckle down and focus on the main priorities: film study and working on the small things," Toussaint said. "I took care of my body and spent a couple days working on my foot- work, getting some treatment and watching more film. It really helped me a lot." With the extra film work, Toussaint began to see the subtle ways in which patience can greatly increase production. He started noticing patterns — when cer- tain defensive linemen shift a certain way, it affects where the linebackers flow, and based on the linebackers' flow, he could predict where the safety was going to be, by the time He started noticing patterns — when cer- tain defensive linemen shift a certain way, it affects where the linebackers flow, and based on the linebackers' flow, he could predict where the safety was going to be, by the time he got there. In the two weeks of practice leading up to the Purdue game, his added time in the film room started to pay dividends. He was In the two weeks of practice leading up to the Purdue game, his added time in the film room started to pay dividends. He was 98 s THE WOLVERINE 2012 FOOTBALL PREVIEW THE WOLVERINE 2012 FOOTBALL PREVIEW