Michigan helmet stickers return, promote competition

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has no problem pushing players against one another.

That’s a primary motivation of the reappearance of the Michigan helmet stickers, for the first time since 1994, to reward big plays.

A few days after the season-opening game at Utah on Thursday, the U-M players saw their helmets and the rewards, in the shape of blue and yellow footballs with a Wolverine in the middle.

“I think it’s awesome,” said U-M tight end Jake Butt, who received eight after his eight-catch, 93-yard, one spectacular touchdown day. “It’s another way to create an environment of competition. They’re pretty sweet, we got them put on our helmet the other day and hopefully I want my helmet to be decked out by the end of the season.”

He finished second on the team in stickers in the first week of competition, the 24-17 loss to Utah. Receiver Amara Darboh had nine stickers for his eight-catch, 101-yard, one-touchdown game.

“Coach Harbaugh preaches competition from Day 1,” Darboh said Monday. “When you go out on the field and do your job you’ll be rewarded. I think I got nine. It was on the helmets. Team goals. ... He told us personally in the meeting. What you grade out on.”

Harbaugh, who had his players receive helmet stickers at Stanford, had them during his final two years at Michigan, in 1985 and 1986, with a drawing of a Wolverine on them.

Though there aren’t as many given out to the defensive players, they were still valued.

Cornerback Jourdan Lewis said he received two.

“Batting down a ball and playing 20 percent of the plays,” he said Monday. “There’s offensive ones offensive MVP or if you made a great block or a big hit.”

Lewis said there was no defensive MVP because of the points surrendered when Utah went to its high-tempo offense.

Yet the defensive players have been getting their own rewards through training camp.

Lewis wore a “Ball Hawk Michigan Defense” sweatshirt.

“If you get a ball hawk (interception) in practice or something like that, we get perks,” he said, of defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin’s rewards. “Backpacks and stuff like that. He wants turnovers and that’s our main goal.”

That’s where he got the sweatshirt.

“Every turnover,” he said.

(c)2015 Detroit Free Press

Visit the Detroit Free Press at www.freep.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.