'Super special': Michigan DB Mike Sainristil is a national champion, future father and soon-to-be NFL player
In mid-December, Michigan graduate defensive back Mike Sainristil and his girlfriend, Seliana Carvalho, filmed their gender reveal on the 45-yard line of The Big House, popping a power cannon that blew out pink smoke. Sainristil and Carvalho are having a baby girl.
Less than a month later, Sainristil was in a dead sprint down the sideline, returning his sixth interception of the season 81 yards down to the Washington 6-yard line to set up a Michigan touchdown three plays later. The Wolverines won the national championship with a 34-13 win over Washington at NRG Stadium in Houston, and Sainristil’s 4th-and-13 pick and return helped seal the deal.
Sainristil put on the turnover buffs and will keep them for good, having led the squad with 6 picks, including 2 that were returned for scores (against Rutgers and Michigan State).
“I was able to get the offense a short field to play on, and they got it done,” Sainristil said.
The Wolverines went 2-4 in 2020 but have won 40 of their last 43 games. While it was a team effort to turn things around, perhaps no player has been credited with leading the charge more than Sainristil, a two-time captain who began his career as a wide receiver. However, the 5-foot-10, 182-pounder out of Everett, Mass., deflects and turns the attention back to the same teammates who constantly praise him.
“It just feels super awesome to be a part of the best team in the country,” Sainristil said. “That’s the most I can say. Everything that I was able to do this year, I always give credit back to the guys, because without them none of this stuff is possible. Without God, none of this is possible. Just to be a part of this team is super special.”
As he was speaking to a pair of reporters in the locker room after the Jan. 8 victory over the Huskies, a teammate walked by and yelled out, “Best DB in the nation!” That seemed fitting. It also seemed unlikely three and even two years ago, when Sainristil was a receiver and the outlook of the Michigan program was unclear.
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“Just trusting the process and believing that if you stick to it, you can change the narrative,” Sainristil said in reflection. “To be a part of the group that did that, I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else.”
It’s been a whirlwind of a few months for Sainristil. He and his girlfriend are already the owners of four dogs and a cat, and they’ll become parents in the near future. He’ll also soon begin preparing for the NFL Draft, where he could be a high pick, and he’ll continue to play football with a bigger purpose.
“From the moment that my girl and I found out [she was pregnant], I just knew that I was doing everything I’m doing for another reason,” the Michigan defensive back said. “And I want to make sure I’m great at everything that it is I do. I can’t wait to share these moments with her.
“Her mom is very special, very supportive in everything it is that I do. So, I already know that she’s gonna have a great mother, and we’re gonna do everything we can to give her the best life possible.”
