Detroit news article on Jordan Kovacs now starting at safety at Michigan. Typical white walk on story with constant comparison to the movie "Rudy". No other glaring caste-speak however.
White guys that play as walk on's must be the most driven people in the world. I can't imagine the amount of work they go through and the set-backs, and that's just the success stories, how many guys don't make it at all. Anyway here's to Jordan and Michigan finally having a white guy not at a caste position.
Walk-on outdoes his inspiration, rises to U-M starter
Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News
Ann Arbor -- It should not come as a shock Jordan Kovacs owns the movie "Rudy," the story of hard-knocks Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger who defied all odds, walked on to the Notre Dame football team in the mid-70s and eventually dressed for a game.
Kovacs is Michigan's "Rudy," a redshirt freshman from the Toledo area who, aside from the offer of preferred-walk-on status from Toledo, garnered no interest from a college football team.
Instead of going the safe route and enrolling at Toledo, Kovacs followed in the footsteps of his father, Louis, a walk-on defensive back at Michigan who saw brief playing time against Purdue in 1982.
After making the team through a student-body tryout, he now is a starting safety, about to make his fourth start on Saturday against Penn State. Kovacs earned his first start against Indiana last month.
"When I first tried out, I kind of had the goal of over the course of four years hopefully making a special team or something," Kovacs said Monday. "My dad walked on and he played three minutes in the Purdue game, kind of scrub time, and I kind of expected that that's what all walk-ons do. So I guess this is definitely more than I ever expected."
Kovacs twice tried out for the team, and yes, before each tryout, he watched "Rudy" for inspiration. He made the team before last season but during a follow-up interview with trainers, revealed he'd had knee surgery his senior year of high school and that the knee felt much as it had then. His chance was over because of the knee.
"I was definitely bummed," Kovacs said. "I remember going home and talking to my dad, 'Man, I don't know what to do.' "
Still, he remained persistent.
He worked hard, but also had another knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, surgery he said he would not have undergone if he did not have the strong desire to play football.
He tried out again and made the team. Now, the knee feels "great," Kovacs said.
Kovacs said he started to realize he was close to playing after fall camp when he was moved to second-string free safety. Michigan has not been particularly deep on the defensive secondary this season.
"I was only one play away from being out there," he said. "Sure enough, in the Notre Dame game Mike (Williams) cramped up, and I found myself out on the field."
There was no time for nerves against Notre Dame, and even before his first start against Indiana, Kovacs said the magnitude of making his first start didn't rattle him.
He moved from free to strong safety two weeks ago and is second on the team with 45 tackles (17 against Michigan State).
Now, Kovacs is getting recognized. Even by the guys who now know him best.
"Yeah, I think teammates have actually learned my name," he said, laughing. "I noticed that after I played the first game."
What were they calling him before?
"Everything," he said, still laughing. "I heard (defensive coordinator Greg) Coach Robinson said that he didn't know my name before fall camp this year. I guess he knows it now."
Said tight end Kevin Koger, who grew up in Toledo, attended Whitmer and played against Kovacs (Clay) in high school: "The starters, we all noticed (how hard Kovacs works). If the coach tells him to be at this spot, this time, he's going to be there because he's so fundamentally sound and disciplined. You can see it in the weight room and the field -- he's so disciplined."
Perhaps struggle and perseverance are what make Kovacs who he is. A dream sometimes isn't enough, but having that dream and desire tested often is what leads to success.
"I always believed I was going to play football at the University of Michigan," he said.
But belief isn't always enough, either. There's an unwritten walk-on creed that goes something like this -- work hard and make the team better. Nothing more. No one ever says a walk-on is going to get a chance to get on the field. But sometimes the stars align.
Just ask Rudy.
Or Jordan Kovacs.
"Every walk-on has got that mentality, that nothing can stop them, that they're going to go out there and play hard and do whatever it takes to make the team better," said Kovacs, who is paying his own way at Michigan. "If they happen to be out on the field, then so be it.
"I guess I've made the most of my opportunity so far."
Extra points
The plan is for center David Molk to practice all week and play Saturday.
Molk, a starter, missed the last four games recovering from surgery on a broken foot. David Moosman moved from right guard to replace Molk at center.
... Senior tailbacks Brandon Minor (ankle) and Carlos Brown (concussion) sat out Saturday's game against Delaware State but should be ready for Penn State.
... Freshman quarterback Tate Forcier , who had headaches early last week because of a concussion, played one series against Delaware State. Rodriguez said Forcier, who also has had an injury to his right (throwing) shoulder, has not gone through an entire week of practice the last three weeks.
