Lloyd Carr realized the kid from nearby Saginaw, Michigan, had the potential to play on offense or defense.
The youngster was big and broad, athletic and rangy. He played four sports in high school, so his abilities could've plugged into lots of different positions on the football field. Tight end. Linebacker. Fullback. Maybe even safety.
But Carr, then the head coach at Michigan, wanted him at linebacker — not for his physical traits but for his mental ones.
"The recognition you have to do on defense because you don't always know what you're going to get," Carr said, "you want a guy that isn't intimidated when things don't go well.