Planning for success: Jake Rudock's pro approach earned Michigan's trust
Jake Rudock is boring.
Michigan’s starting quarterback is combat-trained in the art of interview platitudes. He doesn’t celebrate after big plays or mope after bad ones. To bond with his new teammates this summer, he played board games. It’s no wonder many of them call him "Dad." Whether it’s his fashion sense,lack of social media prowess or refusal to gossip, Rudock is 22 going on 42.
"It feels like he’s so much older," offensive lineman Erik Magnuson said. "He transferred here, and he already graduated, (planning on) medical school and all of that. He acts a lot older than his age. ... He’s not somebody you’re going to see after the game Saturday night at a bar messing around or anything like that. That’s not who he is."
When Rudock left Iowa last spring -- pre-med diploma in hand, bound for Ann Arbor -- he had only a few months to earn his new teammates' trust and make the most out of his last season of college eligibility. He won them over with a mixture of tireless preparation and toughness. The result is perhaps the most mutually beneficial situation in the relative short history of the graduate transfer rule.
The Hawkeyes he left behind are 11-0 and on the cusp of a shocking playoff berth. Rudock’s stock has been revitalized under the tutelage of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, and the Wolverines are 9-2 heading into a rivalry game with Ohio State. The possibility of Rudock facing his old team with a Big Ten title at stake is still not completely out of the picture. Just don’t expect him to say much about it this week.
"He’s all business, all the time," center Graham Glasgow said. "That’s what I like."
Rudock has always been the serious type. The youngest of four children and the son of a baseball coach, he grew up faster than most. As a six-year-old bat boy for Bob Rudock’s summer travel team he would survey the field on the top step of the dugout, chin planted firmly on top of his fist. After the games, he would run sprints from foul pole to foul pole like his teenage brother and his teammates.
Those habits eventually spilled on to the football field, where Rudock picked up the bulk of a complicated offense during training camp in enough time to win Michigan’s starting job. Over the course of the next two months spent watching film, Harbaugh grew to trust him enough that now the coach will at times send Rudock onto the field with a handful of options and tell him to call whatever play looks best.
He’s been calling the right ones recently. The guy who lost his starting job at Iowa for reportedly being too conservative has thrown for more than 1,000 yards in his past three games. He’s completed 70 percent of his throws during that stretch and been responsible for 11 touchdowns, including a school-record six scoring passes against Indiana two weeks ago.
"Never thought that would happen, to be honest," he said. "There’s so much great history here. It’s amazing to be able to say you put your name in a book somewhere."
He needs only 430 passing yards in what’s left of his Michigan career to finish with one of the program’s three-best passing seasons of all-time. Among those within his sights on that list is his current coach.
Harbaugh wouldn’t mind that at all, but the coach has been far more impressed with Rudock’s toughness than his stats. The offense didn’t seem to fully hit its stride until early November, one week after the quarterback was knocked out of a game with bruised ribs and a sore neck. Despite being banged up all week in practice, Rudock turned in what was a career-best performance at the time against Rutgers. Harbaugh declared him "tough as a two-dollar steak," but has since upgraded him on the grit scale.
"Hard as hen’s teeth, he’s been a godsend for our team," Harbaugh said Monday. "He’s left a deep, indelible warmth in our heart for him."
Rudock provides the steady, veteran leadership Michigan has needed in the first year under a new coaching staff. In return, Harbaugh has potentially provided Rudock with a new lease on his football life. The academically-minded Rudock’s move to Michigan was in large part motivated by his plans to become a doctor. Playing football, and for a former All-Pro quarterback, was almost a bonus.
During his recent stretch of success, Harbaugh said he could see the makings of an NFL quarterback in Rudock’s approach to the game. That would have produced eye-rolls at this time last season. Some might still debate Harbaugh’s assessment, but the former pro coach with a knack for evaluating quarterbacks gets the benefit of the doubt in this situation.
Rudock has done enough that scouts would be foolish not to start poring over his physical traits when Rudock wraps up his college career in the coming weeks. No matter what they decide, Rudock already has two things in common with many of the guys who find the most success under center in the pro ranks: he’s tough and he’s boring.
And right now, he’s as good of a free agent pickup as anyone in college football.
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/127451/jake-rudocks-pro-approach-earned-michigans-trust
Jake Rudock is boring.
Michigan’s starting quarterback is combat-trained in the art of interview platitudes. He doesn’t celebrate after big plays or mope after bad ones. To bond with his new teammates this summer, he played board games. It’s no wonder many of them call him "Dad." Whether it’s his fashion sense,lack of social media prowess or refusal to gossip, Rudock is 22 going on 42.
"It feels like he’s so much older," offensive lineman Erik Magnuson said. "He transferred here, and he already graduated, (planning on) medical school and all of that. He acts a lot older than his age. ... He’s not somebody you’re going to see after the game Saturday night at a bar messing around or anything like that. That’s not who he is."
When Rudock left Iowa last spring -- pre-med diploma in hand, bound for Ann Arbor -- he had only a few months to earn his new teammates' trust and make the most out of his last season of college eligibility. He won them over with a mixture of tireless preparation and toughness. The result is perhaps the most mutually beneficial situation in the relative short history of the graduate transfer rule.
The Hawkeyes he left behind are 11-0 and on the cusp of a shocking playoff berth. Rudock’s stock has been revitalized under the tutelage of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, and the Wolverines are 9-2 heading into a rivalry game with Ohio State. The possibility of Rudock facing his old team with a Big Ten title at stake is still not completely out of the picture. Just don’t expect him to say much about it this week.
"He’s all business, all the time," center Graham Glasgow said. "That’s what I like."
Rudock has always been the serious type. The youngest of four children and the son of a baseball coach, he grew up faster than most. As a six-year-old bat boy for Bob Rudock’s summer travel team he would survey the field on the top step of the dugout, chin planted firmly on top of his fist. After the games, he would run sprints from foul pole to foul pole like his teenage brother and his teammates.
Those habits eventually spilled on to the football field, where Rudock picked up the bulk of a complicated offense during training camp in enough time to win Michigan’s starting job. Over the course of the next two months spent watching film, Harbaugh grew to trust him enough that now the coach will at times send Rudock onto the field with a handful of options and tell him to call whatever play looks best.
He’s been calling the right ones recently. The guy who lost his starting job at Iowa for reportedly being too conservative has thrown for more than 1,000 yards in his past three games. He’s completed 70 percent of his throws during that stretch and been responsible for 11 touchdowns, including a school-record six scoring passes against Indiana two weeks ago.
"Never thought that would happen, to be honest," he said. "There’s so much great history here. It’s amazing to be able to say you put your name in a book somewhere."
He needs only 430 passing yards in what’s left of his Michigan career to finish with one of the program’s three-best passing seasons of all-time. Among those within his sights on that list is his current coach.
Harbaugh wouldn’t mind that at all, but the coach has been far more impressed with Rudock’s toughness than his stats. The offense didn’t seem to fully hit its stride until early November, one week after the quarterback was knocked out of a game with bruised ribs and a sore neck. Despite being banged up all week in practice, Rudock turned in what was a career-best performance at the time against Rutgers. Harbaugh declared him "tough as a two-dollar steak," but has since upgraded him on the grit scale.
"Hard as hen’s teeth, he’s been a godsend for our team," Harbaugh said Monday. "He’s left a deep, indelible warmth in our heart for him."
Rudock provides the steady, veteran leadership Michigan has needed in the first year under a new coaching staff. In return, Harbaugh has potentially provided Rudock with a new lease on his football life. The academically-minded Rudock’s move to Michigan was in large part motivated by his plans to become a doctor. Playing football, and for a former All-Pro quarterback, was almost a bonus.
During his recent stretch of success, Harbaugh said he could see the makings of an NFL quarterback in Rudock’s approach to the game. That would have produced eye-rolls at this time last season. Some might still debate Harbaugh’s assessment, but the former pro coach with a knack for evaluating quarterbacks gets the benefit of the doubt in this situation.
Rudock has done enough that scouts would be foolish not to start poring over his physical traits when Rudock wraps up his college career in the coming weeks. No matter what they decide, Rudock already has two things in common with many of the guys who find the most success under center in the pro ranks: he’s tough and he’s boring.
And right now, he’s as good of a free agent pickup as anyone in college football.
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/127451/jake-rudocks-pro-approach-earned-michigans-trust
