Strength of ‘new’ Michigan will be speed, not brawn
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The pet wolves died last year. Mike Barwis had two of them which, to anyone who knows Michigan’s strength and conditioning coach, is hardly a surprise.
“Nobody would dare mess with him,” said Jason Seville, a former West Virginia wrestler who swore he once saw the 195-pound Barwis force a 300-pound Mountaineer heavyweight to — in MMA terms — “tap out.”
“Whenever he’d give us that tongue lashing we were scared for our lives.”
Barwis is reluctant to get into his mixed martial arts background, but it exists somewhere deep in a past that has gotten him to this pinnacle. Besides, that little incident was eight years ago, when Barwis was in the midst of his primary duty — sculpting West Virginia football into a national power.
Barwis’ attention is now focused on his pet Wolverines. Not that the young, bombastic, fired-up, brilliant Philadelphia native doesn’t deserve the attention. But, like everything else associated with the Rich Rodriguez regime, some old-line Wolverines are wondering WWBT?
What Would Bo Think?
“It’s definitely a culture change,” said senior cornerback Morgan Trent. “It’s still ongoing. What first hit us was the strength and conditioning aspect. That was rough. It still is rough but it’s fun to see your body change.”
sportsline.com
7/17/08
