ANN ARBOR -- Michigan junior De'Veon Smith spent his first two years on campus fighting for carries and the top spot on the team's running back depth chart.
In year three, he's still battling for carries, but he's finally earned the No. 1 role.
It's been an interesting journey, but at the same time, Smith spoke Monday night on Jim Harbaugh's radio show about how he's never regretted his decision to come to Michigan.
Whether times were good or bad.
"When we came on our official visit (as recruits), all the players clicked instantly and we all seemed like we knew each other since we were little kids," Smith recalled. "(No regrets) at all. None at all.
"I love it here."
Smith, who currently leads Michigan with 524 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns, also gave thanks to former coach Brady Hoke on Monday.
Hoke, of course, recruited Smith and most of Michigan's current roster. And, like most players, Smith has his own favorite Hoke story from the past.
The time he took a nap on his couch.
"Coach Hoke was a great coach and he meant a lot to me," Smith added. "He came over to my house one day and literally just fell asleep on the couch."
That's one way to seal a recruiting visit.
Other radio show notes from Monday:
-- Smith was asked about the improvement of Michigan's pass blocking from the running back spot this season. Not just from him, but from all the backs -- fullbacks included.
Michigan has allowed just 13 sacks through nine games, good for third-best in the Big Ten. Smith credits running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley for that.
"I guess until this year I really wasn't taught properly how to pass protect, and what (my keys are) exactly," Smith said. "Coach Wheatley's instilling that into all the running backs. ... In previous years, we'd try to cut block somebody and we weren't aiming at the right spot to cut down somebody.
"Coach Wheatley's taught us to get up on them, get low on them when we have to cut them. All the coaching points are the main difference between this year's offense and last year's offense."
-- Speaking of Wheatley, he also appeared on the show Monday night.
The team's first-year running backs coach -- and former star player -- discussed his path back to Michigan as a coach.
"It was a weird deal. In all the blogs and everything leading up to the point (I got here), they had me here as a coach already," Wheatley recalled. "And I was like 'he's still in San Francisco and I'm still in Buffalo, but they're already got us here?' My son (Tyrone Wheatley Jr.) was going to California to play in the Semper Fidelis Bowl game and I was on my way out that way, and it was a crazy, turbulent time. My head coach at that time was Doug Marrone with the Buffalo Bills, he had a clause in his contract where he could opt out in three days ... yadda, yadda, yadda: He left, and left me jobless.
"(Eventually) I got a call from Harbaugh. The rest is history. ... I couldn't believe (he called), but I was (also) like 'he better.' "
-- Harbaugh spoke earlier in the day about the growth of quarterback Jake Rudock in the team's offense, noting the fifth-year senior is playing his best football right now.
Rudock, of course, had a career day Saturday against Rutgers -- going 18 of 25 for 337 yards (career-high) and 2 touchdowns without a turnover.
Harbaugh's been impressed with his play on the field of late and continues to be impressed by his intense attention to detail in game prep. Rudock plans on being a doctor some day, and Harbaugh says -- once his quarterback has finished medical school -- he'd be honored to be a patient of Rudock's down the road.
"He's got a great way of looking at the game and studying the game, very detailed. Like you'd want your surgeon to be," Harbaugh said. "If you were laying on the table and looking up, you'd want it to be somebody like Jake Rudock.
"After he goes to medical school, and if I have a problem, I'll be just fine if I look up and see Jake Rudock there with the scalpel in his hand. He's that kind of a person. ... Let's get him through medical school first, (though)."
In year three, he's still battling for carries, but he's finally earned the No. 1 role.
It's been an interesting journey, but at the same time, Smith spoke Monday night on Jim Harbaugh's radio show about how he's never regretted his decision to come to Michigan.
Whether times were good or bad.
"When we came on our official visit (as recruits), all the players clicked instantly and we all seemed like we knew each other since we were little kids," Smith recalled. "(No regrets) at all. None at all.
"I love it here."
Smith, who currently leads Michigan with 524 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns, also gave thanks to former coach Brady Hoke on Monday.
Hoke, of course, recruited Smith and most of Michigan's current roster. And, like most players, Smith has his own favorite Hoke story from the past.
The time he took a nap on his couch.
"Coach Hoke was a great coach and he meant a lot to me," Smith added. "He came over to my house one day and literally just fell asleep on the couch."
That's one way to seal a recruiting visit.
Other radio show notes from Monday:
-- Smith was asked about the improvement of Michigan's pass blocking from the running back spot this season. Not just from him, but from all the backs -- fullbacks included.
Michigan has allowed just 13 sacks through nine games, good for third-best in the Big Ten. Smith credits running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley for that.
"I guess until this year I really wasn't taught properly how to pass protect, and what (my keys are) exactly," Smith said. "Coach Wheatley's instilling that into all the running backs. ... In previous years, we'd try to cut block somebody and we weren't aiming at the right spot to cut down somebody.
"Coach Wheatley's taught us to get up on them, get low on them when we have to cut them. All the coaching points are the main difference between this year's offense and last year's offense."
-- Speaking of Wheatley, he also appeared on the show Monday night.
The team's first-year running backs coach -- and former star player -- discussed his path back to Michigan as a coach.
"It was a weird deal. In all the blogs and everything leading up to the point (I got here), they had me here as a coach already," Wheatley recalled. "And I was like 'he's still in San Francisco and I'm still in Buffalo, but they're already got us here?' My son (Tyrone Wheatley Jr.) was going to California to play in the Semper Fidelis Bowl game and I was on my way out that way, and it was a crazy, turbulent time. My head coach at that time was Doug Marrone with the Buffalo Bills, he had a clause in his contract where he could opt out in three days ... yadda, yadda, yadda: He left, and left me jobless.
"(Eventually) I got a call from Harbaugh. The rest is history. ... I couldn't believe (he called), but I was (also) like 'he better.' "
-- Harbaugh spoke earlier in the day about the growth of quarterback Jake Rudock in the team's offense, noting the fifth-year senior is playing his best football right now.
Rudock, of course, had a career day Saturday against Rutgers -- going 18 of 25 for 337 yards (career-high) and 2 touchdowns without a turnover.
Harbaugh's been impressed with his play on the field of late and continues to be impressed by his intense attention to detail in game prep. Rudock plans on being a doctor some day, and Harbaugh says -- once his quarterback has finished medical school -- he'd be honored to be a patient of Rudock's down the road.
"He's got a great way of looking at the game and studying the game, very detailed. Like you'd want your surgeon to be," Harbaugh said. "If you were laying on the table and looking up, you'd want it to be somebody like Jake Rudock.
"After he goes to medical school, and if I have a problem, I'll be just fine if I look up and see Jake Rudock there with the scalpel in his hand. He's that kind of a person. ... Let's get him through medical school first, (though)."
