Blake Corum shares passion for community service

If football doesn’t pan out for Blake Corum, he will have much to keep him occupied beyond the gridiron. Since coming to Michigan, Corum has regularly taken time and money gotten via NIL to give back to the local community — he did a turkey giveaway last Thanksgiving, days before the The Game against Ohio State.

With school back in session in the State of Michigan at the end of August, Corum saw another opportunity to offer some help. He shared the details with BTN’s Howard Griffith during a recent visit to Michigan’s training camp.

“Yesterday it was a big day,” Corum said. “School’s right around the corner. I believe they start on the 28th, 29th. So I had 100 backpacks. Bought 100 backpacks with some school supplies. Linked with AFC Ann Arbor, a guy I’ve been linking with for a minute now and he brought some basketballs and stuff. And we were just giving it out to the community. And I tell you, we set up, and they just came running. It was a great experience. I always love giving back to the community. That’s one of my favorite things to do. And it was beautiful yesterday. It was a beautiful thing to see. It made my day for sure.”

Spreading some back to school love by dishing out some backpacks and sports equipment 🖤✊🏾⚽️

Shoutout @blake_corum for continuing to give back to the Ypsi community!

🎥 @goflythru pic.twitter.com/CloNLzKcVB

— CLR Academy (@CLRAcademy) August 17, 2022

And Corum plans to keep giving back wherever he can.

“I’ll forget scoring a 50 yard touchdown,” he said, “but I’ll never forget giving out backpacks. So that’s what I’m going to keep doing. Football is my passion, but giving back is my purpose. And I really believe that. So that’s what I like to do.”

Corum also shared his thoughts about Michigan’s quarterbacks

The quarterback competition at Michigan is one of the more intriguing fall camp storylines across the country. Will head coach Jim Harbaugh and staff go with Cade McNamara, the returning starter who led the Wolverines last year to their first Big Ten title in nearly two decades, or J.J. McCarthy, the heralded up-and-comer with undeniable physical tools? Corum thinks either one will be a great option for Michigan.

Corum touted both of the Michigan signal callers. McNamara led the team a year ago and brings credibility and his even disposition to the position, whereas McCarthy has the arm and legs to dazzle, according to Corum.

“They’re good at different things, right? And then they’re great at some of the same things,” Corum said. “Cade, you know, he led us last year. He’s great at throwing the ball. He’s really, really smart. And then you have JJ. He’s versatile, he can run, he’s a threat when he’s out there. So, I mean, they’re battling. And they’re pushing each other, as they should be.”

Michigan has yet to name either the starting quarterback. Last year, McNamara started all 14 games the Wolverines played, but McCarthy saw significant action throughout the year as both a runner and passer. Corum himself did not want to pick out a winner of the quarterback competition unfolding before him.

“That’s above my pay grade to see who starts,” Corum said with a chuckle, “but they’re both great. At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with either. They’re competing. I believe they really like each other and they push each other. They want each other to be great. So, we’ll see.”