In the lead-up to the College Football Playoff National Championship showdown against the Washington Huskies, the Michigan Wolverines’ players and coaches have openly discussed the importance of mental health, highlighting their preparation, excitement and coping strategies.
With all of the time spent in the weight room, practice facilities, film room, press conferences and playing 13 games already this season (while still being full-time students), the athletes’ mental state is often overlooked.
While Michigan has been winning and the team is having success everywhere it goes, some players are having a down year. While running back Blake Corum set the Michigan record for touchdowns this season, Donovan Edwards took a step back from last season.
The former five-star is as talented as they come, breaking out in 2022 against Ohio State and TCU. But this year wasn’t as fruitful. His yards per carry aren’t even half as efficient as last season, dropping from 7.1 yards per carry to 3.5. His rushing yards went down from 991 in 2022 to 393 in 2023, and his rushing touchdowns decreased from seven to three.
While he expects more from himself, he is taking steps to stay mentally prepared as well as physically.
“I feel like this year has been a lot more of a mental aspect for me,” Edwards said. “I know that I’m going to be perfectly fine in the future, because as I said, God is going to put things in your life to show you the ups, show you the downs. It’s up to you to be able to rise to the occasion and remember the downtimes. Of course, I have the feeling of being flustered, and frustrated, and I definitely have been working on that. Mental health is a big thing for me. I’ve seen a therapist quite often now and that’s helped me get into a focused mind space. I just feel like this year has been a blessing for me. I’m in a National Championship game. I have three Big Ten Championship rings. The team is winning. The team has a lot of success. I just feel like regardless of how this year has gone for me, there has been a lot more blessings in what I’ve been going through beyond football. Even though I know I’m still going to be great at football.”
Many players echoed the statement by Edwards, speaking on the importance of trying to have fun amid the pressure and spotlight to succeed, training the mind for a grueling season and relying on the coaching staff and players to lift each other up.