The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 47 why I'm happy Chase went to Michigan." "They're very similar in that respect, for sure," Anina said of her son and the head coach. They both talk of their son not choosing the easy road. He's majoring in evolutionary anthropology, a pre-med course of study, precisely because it wasn't the path of least resistance. He came back to Michigan, when the NFL's dollars beck- o n e d , b e c a u s e h e wanted to accomplish more in a Michigan uniform, experience another year with his teammates and pick up a parchment more permanent than an NFL contract. "That was a really difficult process," Anina said of the decision to return. "We're big on education, and if Chase would have left, he wouldn't have gotten his degree. You know how hard it is to go back? He's never going to go back and get that degree — the chances are very small that he would do that. "You don't know how long the NFL career would be. His degree would be forever. "And I think he wanted one more year to be with Rashan and be with all the kids. Now, they've got another year under their belt. They could be awesome this year. I'm so excited to see how they do." She's not alone. Big brother Peter now lives in a large home in Toledo, Ohio, with his wife, two daughters and a child due in August. They're right off the highway, and it's the perfect stopping-off point on the road to Ann Arbor for a football Satur- day. "It's been wonder- ful, because we get to enjoy all of them," Anina offered. "Ev- ery weekend, we pull the whole family to- gether." The Saturday cel- ebrations will be even more poignant this fall, in what will be their son's final season in The Big House. "We go to the game and there's 100,000 people there, right?" Winovich's father noted. "A tradition with him is — and he's not supposed to be looking at the crowd — he'll glance up and look for us. "When he does finally find us — and I look like Big Bird up there, waving my arms, way up there in the middle of the stadium — he'll tap his helmet." Winovich himself loves the journey he's been on and smiles at the craziness of it all, the passion Michigan fans have for the sport and those who play it. "When I've got my hair down, I can't walk a block without hearing somebody go, 'Oh, there's Chase Winovich,'" he said, with a smile. "It's just funny to me. They act like I'm something cool. I'm just Chase. It's fun. "I'm in position to showcase what my abilities are from all this hard work. But we're in a position as a team to showcase that. I'm in a great position to validate my decision to come to Michigan in the first place." In the eyes of his parents, it's already vali- dated. "It's just amazing how it is such a first- class operation, from top to bottom," Peter marveled. "The school, the curriculum … nobody settles at that school. "Going to Paris? The kids don't realize it now, but 10, 20 years from now, they're really going to appreciate the benefactors of Michigan being so generous. It really im- presses me, the people. They're very classy in the approach." Winovich stayed. He and Gary desire to be champions, more than becoming the best defensive end tandem in the nation. More than anything, athletically. But words are cheap, and they know it. "We're ready to win," Winovich said. "Let's stop talking about it. Let's just go do it." ❏ Chase Winovich and Rashan Gary in 2017 posted arguably the best combined numbers of any Michigan defensive end duo in history. Winovich, a fifth-year senior this fall, and Gary, a junior, teamed up for 145 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 13 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. They're back for more in 2018. Here's a look at the top five combos over the past 20 years, statistically speak- ing. Those are followed by 10 more all-time great combos prior to that — of- fered by U-M historian Bob Rosiek — when defensive stats were a bit spottier: 1. 2017, Winovich & Gary — The two first-team All-Big Ten performers proved a constant headache for opposing offenses and contributed mightily to Michigan's final No. 3 ranking in total defense. 2. 2009, Brandon Graham & Craig Roh — Graham alone became an All- American wrecking ball, with 10.5 sacks among 26 tackles for loss. But the senior teamed up with the freshman for 101 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 33.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. 3. 2006, LaMarr Woodley & Rondell Biggs — The All-American Woodley posted 12 sacks among 15 tackles for loss alone, with this senior combo producing a relatively low tackle total (52) but proving extremely disruptive with 18 sacks among 23 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. 4. 2016, Taco Charlton & Chris Wormley — These two seniors (Wormley a fifth-year) paced an extremely strong Michigan defense with 83 tackles, 16 sacks among 22 tackles for loss and an offense-jarring 15 quarterback hurries along the way. 5. 1998, James Hall & Juaquin Feazell — This pair aided a Big Ten champion- ship effort with 104 tackles, 17 sacks among 25 tackles for loss and three passes broken up. Hall, the junior to Feazell's senior, even added an interception. Here is the down-through-the-years honors list: 1902 — Curtis Redden & Everett Sweeley 1925-26 — All-American Bennie Oosterbaan & Bill Flora 1932 — All-American Ted Petoskey & Ivy Williamson 1947 — Len Ford & Ed McNeill 1955-56 — All-American Ron Kramer & Tom Maentz 1964 — Jim Conley & Bill Laskey 1970 — Phil Seymour & Mike Keller 1976 — Dominic Tedesco & John Anderson 1980 — Robert Thompson & Mel Owens 1997 — All-American Glen Steele & James Hall — John Borton LaMarr Woodley (above) and Rondell Biggs teamed up to form one of the Wolverines' best defensive end combinations in recent memory, and help lead the team to an 11-2 finish and No. 8 ranking in the final Associated Press poll from the 2006 season. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN U-M's Most Productive Defensive End Combos Of The Past Two Decades, And More "We've been pushing each other to be the best duo in the country. Having him back just makes my job easier." GARY ON THE RETURN OF WINOVICH