Olu Oluwatimi updates his health, talks about his 'dream season'
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The third day of spring ball … that’s when Michigan offensive coordinator and line coach Sherrone Moore knew he had something special in center Olu Oluwatimi. The Virginia grad transfer put on pads for the first time, which made him look even more intimidating, and then proceeded to lock horns with defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
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The result — a one-on-one standstill, not something Smith expected.
“The third day of practice,” Moore said with a grin during VRBO Fiesta Bowl media day Tuesday. “The guy was unbelievable as soon as he got there. He didn’t say a word. We were on spring break, and he was there working out … he just didn’t talk. It took until after spring to let him know, ‘you have respect from everybody in this building. You can say what you want.’ So that’s when he really started letting loose, speaking his mind.
“The way he works, acts, what he does on the field … it took three practices. The first padded practice he went against Mazi, and guys were like, ‘oh … this guy is pretty good.’ Mazi came up to me said, ‘I haven’t had a center do that to me since I’ve been here … so I think he might be the guy.’ I said, ‘yeah, I think so, too.’”
He’s been the guy and more, winning the Rimington and Outland trophies for best center and interior lineman nationally. He’s been so important, in fact, that panic ensued online in Michigan corners when reports surfaced that he’d been spotted wearing a boot after the Ohio State game.
He walked into the interview room Tuesday in shorts looking confident and good to go.
“I’m healthy. I’m ready to roll,” he confirmed.
And they’ll need him, sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. He and Oluwatimi have developed a comfort level with one another that has made the offense hum this year.
“It’s difficult,” Moore noted of asking a transfer to plus a position as important as center. “That guy, he runs the line. He really runs the offense with the quarterback. He makes the calls, does everything. It’s huge.
“When you find a guy like that, he’s pretty special. It helps when you have really good players around him. The four guys that play beside him are really good. They did an incredible job just making him fit in. It feels like he’s been here for five years.”
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For Oluwatimi, too. This season is exactly what he envisioned when he signed with Michigan, and he’s fit perfectly off the field, too. He could easily have been a captain — he has that kind of respect — and winning the awards were as much a team accomplishment to him as individual.
That speaks to how much Oluwatimi understands the Michigan culture.
“It was awesome. It wasn’t something I expected, but I thought I put a good enough season in to be deserving of the award,” he said. “I was just so excited and happy when I heard from [SID] Dave [Ablauf] and Coach Moore. They kind of did a two-man on me. I was speechless. But it was the best when my parents found out on the awards show and seeing how happy and proud my dad was.
“This is what I envisioned. I envisioned we’d have a great season to this point and position ourselves to play meaningful games at the end of December and January. I envisioned all the team success. It’s why I came here. I wanted to win a conference championship, wanted to play for a National Championship and win a National Championship. As far as the personal success, when the team is rolling and you are playing well, all the accolades end up coming.”
He’d like to add one more to his collection — a national championship ring. He’ll get his shot at that, too, starting with Saturday night’s playoff game against TCU.
