Michigan Football: Coach’s Corner — Jordan Kovacs — Safeties — Wolverine’s Spring Football — GBMWolverine Evaluations
Posted at 5:30am — 6/14/2012
Michigan Football: Coach’s Corner — Jordan Kovacs — Safeties — Wolverine’s Spring Football — GBMWolverine Evaluations
GBMWolverine Football Spring Evaluations: Position-by-Position — Player Profile.
GBMWolverine readers: Here is a brief overview of Jordan Kovacs and GBMWolverine’s analysis concerning his progress this spring in our opinion.
Note: We will not evaluate every player on the team and with this position group (Safeties) we will not evaluate #14 Josh Furman since he didn’t participate in spring practices, #19 Charlie Zeller, and #23 Floyd Simmons. If you would like to chat about this player bring them up on the message board or send us an e-mail request.
Reminder: Also noted that we didn’t attend every practice and realize things happen during those fifteen practices, but our evaluations are based on what we seen first hand and in our opinion and not what we hear like just about every other site out there that relies on second, third hand information to make their evaluations of the players during the spring.
Losing from 2011 (Team #132) on scholarship: Nobody on Scholarship.
Coming in for 2012 (Team #133) on scholarship: Jarrod Wilson, Allen Gant, and Jeremy Clark.
Commit for 2013 (Team #134) on scholarship: Dymonte Thomas.
Jordan Kovacs
Height: 6’0
Weight: 197
Number: 32
Position: Safety
Year: Red-shirt Senior
City/State: Curtice, Ohio
High School: Clay
High School Coach: Mike Donnelly
Two years ago the question could have been asked, “Has there ever been a more maligned or under appreciated player than Kovacs?” Early on whenever we attended spring practices and came back with a report that Kovacs practiced with the first group, we heard “For how long?” And, “Who will beat him out? And, “When will Marvin take over the job?” Recruiting sites were pushing the young incoming players for two reasons: first their star rankings; second, everyone held the faulty underlying assumption that a slow walk-on that whiffed on tackles (but at least he was in the neighborhood back then) could never start at Michigan. GBMWolverine took a little discipline and judged Jordan on practice performance on the field in a winged helmet.
There are obviously better athletes on the team at the safety position, that is for sure. And there certainly are more imposing safeties on the roster as well. But while highly valued, talent alone is not the total determiner in who plays in the game of football. Some things cannot ever be measured at a combine or implied with perfect accuracy from a stat sheet. The heart and determination of Jordan Kovacs has overcome plenty. And the best may still be ahead.
Will he ever be a great athlete or show superior movement skills? Probably not. What Jordan will do is always give 100%, work his fanny off on the field, and he is a smart player who acts like a coach on the field, making the right checks when needed and making sure players know coverages. He also works hard in the film room and is an asset to the program off the field.
The result is Jordan is now highly valued and has become one of the team’s leading tackler’s. No one can say with any validity that Jordan does not belong on the field in Michigan Stadium.
His improvement over the last three seasons has been a testament to what hard work and a great attitude can do. It was nice during spring practice not to be hounded with e-mails and posts about who was going to replace him this season. By his actual performance, and not by pure potential, Jordan has earned the respect of his teammates, and, also, posters as well.
He is what we believe Bo would define as “A True Michigan Man” because of what he represents on and off the field. He is one of those guys with lesser gift that found a way to get it done. And last year Coach Mattison found a way for Jordan to make some big plays.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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