Blake Corum says Jim Harbaugh told him to turn pro after injury

Michigan fans rejoiced when star running back Blake Corum announced he’d be returning for the 2023 season after suffering a season-ending injury last year. Corum had a tremendous 2022 season before tearing his meniscus and spraining MCL in the Wolverine’s home finale versus Illinois. And he recently revealed that not only himself, but head coach Jim Harbaugh were leaning towards him declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft.

“Coach Harbaugh, he said get the surgery and he told me to go to the league,” Corum said. “I said coach what would you do, he said if I were you I’d go to the league. But this is like before I got the surgery, this was before I even thought about coming back, because I was going to the league. It’s a once in a life opportunity, I’m like I’m going.”

Corum may have had his vision set on the next level, but the thoughts about various factors and questions regarding his transition to the NFL became louder and louder the more he gave his decision thought.

“But then in the back of my head it’s like you’re not going to be able to do that combine, you’re not gonna be able to show these scouts what you really do. You’ve already been doubted, not in terms of your playing ability, but your size right?” Corum asked. “You’re not tall. That’s been a factor my whole life. So all these things were on mind like okay are they going to judge me off my film? Are they gonna think I’m slow if I don’t run the 40 (yard dash)? Am I not gonna be able to prove myself or get drafted as high as possible? So all these things were going through my mind.”

If the scouts just cut on the film, they couldn’t help but be impressed by Corum, who rushed for 1,457 yards and 18 touchdowns in 11 games for the Wolverines last season. He even displayed a serious level of toughness, attempting to play through the injury the following week versus rival Ohio State and receiving two carries.

But those questions combined with a new sense of the bigger picture made Corum’s decision for him.

“I had to go with my gut,” Corum said. “Coach Harbaugh was telling me to go, my agent telling me hey, I think you should come out, you know you had one hell of a season. I’m like yeah you’re right, I did, I had a pretty good season right? But it was more than that, I tell everyone think about the bigger picture. I’m the first in my family to ever go to college, if I left there’s no chance I would be walking this Saturday to get my degree. There’s no shot, I was not coming back.”

From NIL, to a desire and obsession with putting his skills on display at the NFL Combine, to helping the Wolverines win their first national championship since 1997, the list of benefits stacked too high for Corum to not go back. As he looks to cement his legacy with one final, healthy season with the Wolverines that kicks off on September September 2 versus East Carolina.

“The NFL’s not going nowhere. So what’s one more year? I’m getting all these pros: my degree, chance to win a national championship, the chances of leaving a true legacy, chances of being a hero, I’m in the community here big time, so I get one more year with the community, charities, and just giving back,” Corum said. “There’s too many pros for just something that’s always going to be there, so it was all about the bigger picture coming back honestly.”