In the days and months leading up to his third summer camp as Michigan’s head coach, Rich Rodriguez has been telling anyone who will listen that Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson are in a neck-and-neck battle to become the Wolverines’ starting quarterback.
Based on the words of one of Rodriguez’s seniors, however, that’s no longer the case.
Speaking at the Big Ten’s media days Tuesday afternoon, cornerback Troy Woolfolk blistered Forcier with measured words for the QB’s lack of participation in voluntary workouts this summer, saying that he and his fellow seniors have started to question the work ethic of last year’s starter.
Oh, and if that weren’t bad enough, Forcier is also on the verge of becoming “diseased” to his teammates due to a “bad work ethic”.
“I personally have a lack of respect for them,” Woolfolk said of players who don’t participate in the voluntary workouts. “The outlook on them is kind of diseased. Like you don’t want to be hanging around those people because they have bad work ethic. But at the same time, it’s my role to try to persuade them to come out more. …
“The only reason he’s not really labeled as diseased is because of the way he was able to carry the team last year before we started losing. People still trust him a little bit, but he’s starting to lose that trust.”
Woolfolk also stated that, Rodriguez’s claims of the job being up for grabs notwithstanding, Robinson has inched ahead of Forcier in the minds of his teammates due to the combination of Robinson being a regular attendee of the workouts and Forcier being a no-show on many an occasion.
“Denard has been out there through the thick and thin and been out there all the time regardless if he’s hurting,” Woolfolk said. “And Tate, he tries to come out, but he’s not as consistent as Denard is. And that’s allowed Denard to jump a little bit ahead of Tate and I think that Tate’s going to have to do a lot of work to catch back up to Denard in camp this year.”
Yep, this is exactly what Rodriguez needs heading into a season that could decide exactly how long his tenure in Ann Arbor lasts.
surprised that players are going public on this and not confronting him directly…
less than one month until college football!
Wow. Even if this is the case, you don’t speak of it to media outlets. You go to the source of the “disease”.
Nothing like a divided team starting fall ball……
Rich Rodriguez can kiss his a$$ goodby. Should have stayed @ W.Va–now worse yet he could be headed to Buffalo or Marshal.
No problem at all.
Michigan fans want Denard in. He’s the better player.
Rodriguez saves job by going 11-2 this year.
Lock it up.
The cream will rise to the top. Robinson may be “Woolfolk’s boy” but that won’t help in the end.
If they had family values in that program, teammates wouldn’t be killing each other in the media. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a Heisman contender (talking about Mallett, not OSU’s Heisman contender) under center?
2,446 and counting, suckas!
Was this a legal voluntary practice or one of DickRod’s mandatory NCAA violation type voluntary practices?
Ah, it does my heart good to hear these kinds of stories coming out of that hole up north!!! The team is literally falling apart and they haven’t even started the season. Man I can’t wait for this season to start!
Lamarr Woodley doesn’t play for Michigan anymore. Freudian slip, JT?
Team unity is crucial to having a good season. It sounds like RichRod has more problems than just deciding who will be the QB. Poor results + NCAA rule violations + player dissent = a soon to be unemployed coach.
@CleanSlaton: Must’ve been. Nice catch.
so let me get this straight: Michigan football players WANT to practice?
To Arizona Buckeye:
Take aim at Michigan while you can but who have the Suckeyes been able to beat over the past few years? With the supposedly world class talent they have year in and year out they are the world’s biggest underachievers. Come to the SEC and they might win one or two games a year – maybe! Then they wouldn’t have to get embarrassed in a bowl game either!
I was going to make fun of the guy who called Michigan going 11-2 but then I looked at their schedule. Jesus Christ what I wouldn’t give for a schedule like that in the SEC west.
@ Booner
What’s with the name calling? U can make your points better without the “suckeye” nonsense!!!!
I am an SEC fan but I know that the Buckeyes have the 2nd best record in the nation over the past 20 yrs (90s & 2000s). I also believe they would have a tougher road in the SEC but aren’t stupid enough to say they would only win 1 or 2 games…..
@ Booner
What’s with the name calling? U can make your points better without the “suckeye” nonsense!!!!
I am an SEC fan but I know that the Buckeyes have the 2nd best record in the nation over the past 20 yrs (90s & 2000s). I also believe they would have a tougher road in the SEC but aren’t stupid enough to say they would only win 1 or 2 games…..
@Booner – What is up with your ass? If you were a UofM fan I could see the hostility but if you’re an SEC fan – WTF? I scratch my head at your hostility towards the Buckeyes when it wasn’t even remotely an article about the SEC vs. OSU.
blitz – I have to say, you’re restoring my faith in SEC fans. I appreciate the step in and you’re intellect when it comes to these boards. It increases my chuckle at our first little back and forth!
@ Arizona Buckeye
Thanks—-Do U know who has the best college record over the past 20 yrs? Your Buckeyes have the 2nd best…….
You know it’s getting really bad in Ann Arbor when…as a Buckeye fan…you’d like to see the o’possu….er…Wolverines get better. There used to be some measure of prestige in defeating a UM team in November. Now, it’s more like a fatal headshot to a sick old mule. No glory in it.
No drama in it. It’s simply expected for the Buckeyes to humble the Wolverines again and again.
Can anyone post directions to Ann Arbor, MI?
Your seniors are questioning the QB, they are doubting the abilities of their leader on the field.
Yea this will not be a good situation and has all the potential of getting much worse if there is not some unity between the players. The moral of the team will suffer at the most crutial times which would be when they are behind on the scoreboard.
If its this easy to voice discontent before the season starts, imagine what the press conferences will be like after a loss!! Might be time for the coach to issue a GAG order!
I don’t think that the players are having unity issues, but I think the players are fed up with Tate…I have always supported Tate, but after hearing these accusations, I’m kind of disappointed…However, I still have faith in my Wolverines no matter who is under center. GO BLUE!!!!!
Looks like code red! Right after “GO BLUE” is when they pull the plug.
4-8 looks awfully good right now…….
@ blitz
Without doing The Googles – I’m going to guess either the ugly helmet team (UofM) or Penn State. I will assume I’m not even close though.
@ Arizona Buckeye
Your 3rd answer–Not even close
It’s the good looking helmet team:
The “Florida Gators”# 1—202-52
Buckeyes #2 —-193-54
last 20 yrs–didn’t list ties
3-Texas 4-USC 5-Georgia
Notice who’s not in the top 5:
Alabama, Oklahoma, ND, Mich, PennState, LSU
@ Boner Opps – I meant Booner
You ask who OSU has beaten lately? In the 21st century OSU has beaten:
Michigan 8 times Penn State 7 times
Wisconsin 5 times Michigan State 4 times
Iowa 4 times Washington 2 times
and the following teams 1 time:
Miami Oregon Texas Texas Tech
Oklahome State NC State Notre Dame
Kansas State Washington St
@ Boner – Dang! I did it again! Sorry Booner!
FYI! OSU has more BCS Bowl appearances than any other team and is tied for the greatest number of BCS Bowl wins. I guess this proves your point about OSU being overrated.
@ Booner
Stay DOWN! Please stay DOWN! U already have taken toooooooo many hits to the HEAD!!!!!
Can’t say I didn’t warn U…….
Boner – your post is indicative of a recent script refill at the local hippie lettuce stand.
You and JaggedMark must go to the same stand – your posts sound like was it’s been a bumper crop this year with some super powerful stuff. Or you were posting from the media tent at the Ann Arbor Pot Fest.
Gr8 info Blitz – TKX.
@blitz4848 Why limit your stats ?? Since 1945 only Oklahoma and Ohio State are ranked ahead of Penn State’s winning percentage(736)..
[...] as a true freshman in 2009, Forcier was roundly criticized this past offseason by his coaches and teammates alike for his work ethic — or lack thereof. He was ultimately passed on the depth chart by Denard [...]