Kornacki: 'Big Play' McCray Raring To Go
4/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 5, 2016
Mike McCray blocks a punt against Appalachian State on Aug. 30, 2014
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Quarterback John O'Korn ran to his left, hoping to turn the corner and break for some big yardage down the sideline. Linebacker Mike McCray had O'Korn in the crosshairs, though, and ran him down for a sack.
O'Korn is the best runner among Michigan's quarterback candidates, and at times ran with the speed and quickness of a tailback in Friday night's (April 1) intrasquad scrimmage at Michigan Stadium. But he couldn't escape McCray, the son of a former Ohio State football captain, and was dropped for a six-yard loss.
" 'Big Play' McCray,' that's what we call him," Wolverine linebacker-defensive back Jabrill Peppers said with a smile. "He's a playmaker."
McCray also engulfed shifty tailback Drake Johnson for a two-yard loss on a third-and-one play. The senior from Trotwood-Madison High in Trotwood, Ohio is stepping up now that he's fully healthy.
"Mike has been hurt a lot," said Peppers, "and this spring he's been healthy enough to play and has opened everybody's eyes. Going into it, there were question marks at linebacker, but guys are stepping up, and he's definitely one of those guys."
McCray, a 6-4, 240-pounder with great size to go with his speed, led the victorious Maize team with seven tackles.
The top three tacklers -- linebackers Joe Bolden and Desmond Morgan and free safety Jarrod Wilson -- must be replaced from last year's team, which finished 10-3 and ranked 12th in the nation.
"All of those players were great," said McCray. "It was good looking up to them, and learning a lot from them. But now we have to take their spots and produce."
New defensive coordinator Don Brown recently mentioned positive impressions being made by returning linebackers Ben Gedeon (34 tackles in 2015), Noah Furbush and McCray.
Peppers, who will spend the vast majority of his time at the strong-side linebacker spot, is the ringleader. McCray should figure prominently.
"McCray, for the first time in his career, he's healthy," said Brown. "I like what I'm seeing."
Devin Bush and Carlo Kemp, two early-arriving freshmen linebackers, are talented and heady players who should get shots at significant playing time.
McCray is excited about playing for Brown, nicknamed "Dr. Blitz" for his aggressive play calling.
"Coach Brown came in and met with us all and made us feel comfortable," said McCray. "He got to know us and we got to know him, and that made it easier for us to learn this defense. He pushes us to learn fast, and we all learned really quickly."
McCray made his college debut in the 2014 Appalachian State game, and blocked a punt that Gedeon returned for a touchdown. He also made a tackle for lost yardage in that year's Penn State game and appeared in 11 games. However, it was tough to crack the lineup with a veteran linebacker corps that included Jake Ryan, who had a great rookie season for the Green Bay Packers in 2015.
McCray didn't play as a freshman in 2013 and missed all of 2015 with a right shoulder injury.
"A big injury puts you through a lot of adversity," said McCray. "But my family and friends helped keep my head right. And just knowing that I have people looking up to me motivated me to come back stronger than I was before."
This could be his year to shine.
"He's a very talented linebacker," said All-America cornerback Jourdan Lewis. "He can cover, he can come up and hit. He's real physical. He's instinctive. He's everything you want in a linebacker. So, when you see a guy like that getting his chance and being fully healthy, it's a great thing."
His father, Michael McCray, Sr., was a two-year starter for the Buckeyes. He made 71 tackles and had three interceptions as a junior in 1987, playing with Butkus Award winner and future Detroit Lions star Chris Spielman. McCray was a captain at OSU the next season.
The father, who wore No. 99, supported the decision his son made to play for his alma mater's arch rival.
The son wears No. 9 for the Wolverines, and is the same kind of versatile defender that his father was.
"Big Play" McCray was a four-star recruit at Trotwood-Madison and rated the No. 2 linebacker in Ohio by Scout.com. He was invited to the Under Armour All-America Game, but didn't play due to an injury.
"I got the nickname in high school," said McCray, "and I guess it just kind of carried over to college."
He was part of the Maize defense that stopped fullback Henry Poggi's attempt to score on a two-point conversion play for the Blue team that meant the difference in a 14-13 outcome.
"I thought we all played together," said McCray. "We did our jobs. The team got split up and you didn't get to play with a lot of the same people, but we all did our job and that's what made the defense successful."
O'Korn scored on a six-yard run in the final seconds of the game to put the outcome in doubt. McCray missed a chance to take down O'Korn that time, and then McCray was penalized for being off side on the initial two-point conversion attempt, giving Poggi a chance to score from the one-yard line.
Did he feel pressure on the final two-point conversion play?
"There was," said McCray, "but it's still football. We settled down and made up for the mistake we made on the touchdown."
He's hearing the call to make those big plays and become a leader.
"Ben Gedeon and I are two of the oldest players in the (linebacker) room," said McCray, "and I feel like I have to step up and be more of a leader than I was before."
The winners got to eat steak at a team meal, while the losers got pasta. But there was an enthusiasm on the field during the game that wasn't driven by a dinner menu. It was all about a team hungry for a Big Ten championship and perhaps more, and at the center of all the excitement was "Big Play" McCray, healthy and raring to go.
