Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, now a leader, likely returns with a bigger role
Grand Blanc — In his free time – and there isn’t much of it – Colston Loveland, junior tight end for the Michigan Wolves, enjoys playing golf.
Loveland played a round at Atlas Valley Golf Club on Monday as part of a UM Club of Flint outing, a break from what he described as a six-day-a-week offseason practice schedule, and while he doesn’t want to talk about his handicap, he loves what golf offers him.
“I like the people, but I also like the feeling of being out there, being in your own head and doing something difficult,” Loveland said. “When you hit a good shot, it all pays off.”
Like making a great catch or block. There isn’t much connection between football and golf and the way they’re played, which is another reason why it’s a hobby of choice for Loveland. It allows him to escape the stress of the game he plays on a regular basis.
“Soccer is obviously physically tougher,” Loveland said. “Mentally, I would say golf is the toughest sport.”
The fact that players like Loveland, cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant returned to Michigan for their junior seasons after the Wolverines won the national title in January is not something to be taken lightly.
Johnson spoke to reporters during spring practice about the temptation of other schools offering high zero-dollar deals for transfers, “especially when you hear all the numbers and things like that,” Johnson said.
Loveland, who was selected to the All-Big Ten first team by the coaches last season and made waves in the first round of the NFL Draft, said other programs are interested in him.
“There were definitely some things,” Loveland told The Detroit News. “There were some messages, people contacted me and a lot of things. But we met as a team and asked ourselves where we are. What is our goal? In the end, the majority stayed and we all said let’s do this thing again. We’ve been on a winning streak ever since.”
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Loveland has started 17 times in the 29 games he has played for Michigan. Last year, as the Wolverines’ top tight end, he started 12 times and caught 45 balls for 649 yards and four touchdowns. With the departures of receivers Roman Wilson and Cornelius Johnson, Loveland is expected to be targeted more often and his numbers will rise.
Loveland said he worked on his speed during the offseason, doing sprints to improve his quickness and has set personal goals that he keeps to himself.
“There’s so much room for growth,” Loveland said. “I’m not even close to where I could be. Nothing specific, but just everything as a whole – route running, blocking, everything. It can all get better. I’ve been working on it all offseason, working on my speed, doing speed work, doing team workouts and just throwing with the quarterbacks to get that connection.”
“I have a lot of goals that I keep to myself, a lot of goals that I want to accomplish, like (former Michigan tight end) Jake Butt. I’m trying to win the Mackey, be one of the best tight ends and have a good group of guys around me to accomplish that. The main focus is the team. You hear it all the time, with team success comes individual success.”
It’s no secret that Michigan has a lot of holes to fill on offense. They need to find a starting quarterback to replace JJ McCarthy, build an offensive line, and strengthen the receivers. The running backs, led by Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings, are strong, but there are a lot of question marks on offense. None of that has given Loveland pause.
“New O-line, new quarterback, a lot of new guys on offense; the defense is as strong as it’s ever been, but I love our coaches and the attitude that everyone has,” he said. “That’s the way it is in any sport — guys go, guys have to come in. But I really like our team on offense and our offensive line is going to be great, and as far as quarterback, whoever gets him, we’re in good hands.”
Edwards is a senior and has shown his leadership skills since winter practice, but the juniors will play a major role in providing leadership this fall. Loveland said he feels like he has come into his own and is not overly vocal, but will speak up when needed and prefers to lead by example. He has found that younger players come to him for advice and enjoys that added dimension to his game.
“I think I’ve really embraced the leadership role and along with other guys from our class like Will and Mason, all those guys, we’re just trying to take them along and show them what Michigan is all about, the culture and everything,” Loveland said. “And I think they’re all doing a great job and they respect me and I respect them, so it’s all great.”
Loveland said he learned leadership lessons from Blake Corum, last season’s captain, as well as Wilson and McCarthy.
“We’ve been able to grow and these guys have taken us under their wing and then they leave. Now we know how everything works,” he said. “We’re just trying to spread that to the freshmen, newbies, new recruits, everyone.”
The players will get a short break on July 4, but Loveland said they will get back to work when they head to training camp. He is confident Michigan can return to play a role in the postseason as the Wolverines defend their national title.
“We have players who have done it, we have coaches who have done it, so we know what it takes to get there,” Loveland said when asked why he believes in this team. “But I think we just have the mindset of, ‘Forget everything we did.’ New team. Team 145.”
“We have different players, but we never doubt that we can’t win it, that we can’t reach the ultimate goal. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, for sure. There will be close games, there will be tough games, but we’ve done it all. We just have to keep being ourselves. Coach (Sherrone) Moore always says, ‘Be yourself.’ If everyone is themselves, good things will happen.”
@chengelis
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