The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/998618
THE WOLVERINE 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 95 football together, worked out together." The Dwumfours still make their home only a few minutes from where Jennifer Shepherd, Gary's mom, lives. Shepherd also anticipates the reuniting of childhood friends on a very grown-up Michigan defensive line. "That should be fun to watch," she said. "I have pictures of them playing when they were 11 years old. Now they can play again in college. That's awesome — a dream that they always wanted." Dwumfour himself doesn't plan on letting the opportunity slip away. "When you know the game, you just play faster," he said. "I just got my mental aspect stronger. "I knew I had to mature. To take some- body's spot like Mo, you've got to know what you're doing. I just had to mature as a football player and understand the game more." He understands, now. Back in New Jersey, they're smiling at what might be. "With every team, you have to bide your time and wait for the right opportunity," Fred Dwumfour cautioned. "I always told him, 'Always get ready. You never know when they're going to call your number.'" It's ringing, not just for a prospective new defensive tackle, but for the Wolverines them- selves. Coming off a disappointing finish to an 8-5 season, Michigan players are looking for more. Dwumfour insists he's doing his part, along with everyone else. "Coach Harbaugh's mentality is to win, and it's been that way since I've met him," Dwumfour said. "We know that we went 8-5 last season, and that's just a chip on our shoulders. "Everybody wants to see us fail. Coach [Mattison] always asks us, the D-line: 'How good can we be today? Are we going to prove people wrong? Are we going to go out there and show that we're the best defensive line in the country?' That's the approach we take." Dwumfour also senses a different atmo- sphere in Schembechler Hall, beyond the competitive fire. "There's been a lot of changes in this build- ing for the good," he said. "Coach Harbaugh just wants us to be closer as a team. When you're closer as a team, it shows on the field. I think he's just trying to be more family- oriented. "It's definitely different coaches, but it's still the same players. We're just trying to go out there and do what we're coached to do." The big man, with big shoes to fill, hasn't changed a bit in that respect. ❏ In his final two prep years at DePaul Catholic, Dwumfour tallied 97 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and 26 quarterback hurries. He's poised to start racking up numbers in college now after biding his time as a reserve on a loaded defensive line. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN