Confidence Renewed, O'Korn Ready for Last Go-Round
8/18/2017 11:25:00 AM | Football, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- John O'Korn and Wilton Speight are coming down the stretch run in their competition to determine who will be the University of Michigan's starting quarterback.
Both spoke with reporters earlier this week at Schembechler Hall, and I noticed something interesting on the inside of O'Korn's left forearm. And so, when he finished the press conference, I walked with him toward the locker room and asked about the letters inked in the language of the Israelites.
O'Korn extended his arm to show the tattoo addition to the small capital "G" that he'd had put there before last season as a reminder of Georgia Veach, a 5-year-old girl whom he befriended after getting to know her through her parents, Chad and Julia, who had pastored the church he once attended in Houston. She was born with a brain disorder, Lissencephaly, which has hindered her development.
Now there are new words of inspiration coming off that letter.
"I've got a new tattoo," O'Korn said. "It says 'Even if' in Hebrew. It's from a story from Daniel 3 (in the Bible). It's the story of the fiery furnace and is about three guys named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and their dealings with King Nebuchadnezzar."
Nebuchadnezzar ordered all passing the 90-foot gold statue of himself in Babylon to fall down and worship it when music played. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused and accepted the king's ruling that they be thrown into a blazing furnace. When Nebuchadnezzar, whose soldiers taking them to the furnace were consumed, noticed the trio alive in the fire, he called them out and decreed people say nothing negative about their God or face his retribution. The three walked away from the ordeal with, according to Bible scripture, not a hair on their bodies singed.
"It's been a verse that's kind of carried me over the past few years personally in dealing with things through football and life in general," said O'Korn. "No matter what happens, I'm going to stay true to myself like those three guys did. Their story is so inspiring. I want to be like those guys and have the courage they had.
"As far as getting it in the location where I did, part of the reason I got the 'G' tat is because we believe, like the Veaches, that Georgia is going to be healed, whether in this life or the next. And she's doing well."
So, O'Korn, a senior in "my last go-round" who works tirelessly with patients at Michigan's Mott Children's Hospital, has taken to becoming an even greater example of virtue. He said being a better friend and supporter for Speight, should he win the job again, is part of the plan.
Harbaugh this year proclaimed a three-way tie for the starting quarterback job between Speight, O'Korn and Brandon Peters, who didn't play last season as a freshman. Harbaugh said last week that O'Korn and Speight had "created separation" in the competition.
Speight, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, won the job last year. He threw for 2,538 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interception, but his productivity declined when injured in the second half of the upset loss at Iowa. He played through it, but O'Korn started the home finale in the snow with Indiana and had a big run in the victory. Speight started against Ohio State and in the Orange Bowl against Florida State with mixed results, but he wasn't fully healthy.
O'Korn had a fantastic freshman season at Houston, throwing for 3,117 yards and 28 touchdowns, but lost his starting job in 2014 to Greg Ward, who went on to throw for 8,705 yards, run for 2,375 yards and win 27 games.
So, O'Korn transferred to Michigan shortly after Harbaugh was named coach and hoped to replace Jake Rudock after sitting out the required one season. O'Korn hasn't been able to beat out Speight, but both have pushed one another.
Speight lost 23 pounds since last season and has a trimmer body type.
"I just got really strict with my diet," said Speight. "I only really ate animals and things that grew from the ground and stayed away from the processed foods. I also upped the cardio (work) a little bit.
"I feel a lot quicker coming from under center. And being able to finesse around the pocket and maybe get more than two or three yards on runs like I did last year."
Speight said he's also become a better leader.
O'Korn said the biggest difference for him has been the addition of Pep Hamilton from the Cleveland Browns to become an assistant coach and passing game coordinator, replacing Jedd Fisch.
"Pep Hamilton, he's been a godsend for me," said O'Korn. "I think he's helped me evolve into the player, the leader, the person I always knew I could be.
"He helped me get my confidence back and to the highest level I've ever had right now. That's what it's going to take to lead this team to the things we want to do this year. We have a lot more responsibility with protections this year. There were times last year when we really didn't know what was going on up front. You'd see me scrambling when I didn't need to, and that was maybe my big flaw. I've just found confidence in sitting in the pocket and knowing what's going on."
What shook his confidence?
"You know, you go through some things," said O'Korn. "You're at the top of the college football landscape, you're getting talked about for the Heisman Trophy and Davey O'Brien (Award) and then a few weeks later, you're benched. It's part of being human. I felt like that, at times, I was the scapegoat for Houston, for a lot of things that were going on in the program, and that will shake an 18-year-old kid. That's just something you've got to go through to get to where you are now."
He started out on the scout team at Michigan while sitting out, and he said getting that confidence back to the necessary level "has obviously taken longer than I would've liked" but acknowledged that "everything has its course."
O'Korn noted that recognition of protection fronts and other points "coupled" with "being able to really take command and lead the guys" as his biggest improvements.
"I'm ready if my number's called," said O'Korn. "I'm sure Wilton will tell you the same thing. We're competing our butts off, and Brandon and (true freshman) Dylan (McCaffrey), too. It's been a great camp, and the offense is looking really good. We're going to be ready to roll."
