Crescent-News.com - Mealer is positive, optimistic

ANN ARBOR, Mich. --Elliott Mealer is no stranger to adversity on or off the football field. The 2009 season will be no different when Mealer attempts to vie for a coveted spot on the University of Michigan football depth chart.

After red-shirting his first season in Ann Arbor, Mealer is nearing the end of full rehab and is starting regular workouts with the hope of full recovery of strength and agility to his shoulder.

"Rehab is going good," explained Mealer. "For the most part, concerning my shoulder, I can play football. I can do all the things I need to in life and I consider my shoulder 100 percent."

For Mealer, the challenge is restoring lost shoulder strength which may never return.

"The team has been doing a lot of upper arm strengthening in the weight room, but I'm not allowed to start that until after spring break (Feb. 20-28)," said Mealer. "At that time, I will start out with two to three days of upper body strength training and I'm not sure how long that will last, but it could last my whole career just to stay on top of it."

Despite all of the adversity, Mealer remains positive and hopeful of the chance to make a difference for the team.

"I just want to be effective for the team and help it any way I can," explained Mealer. "I want to be a starter, that's my goal or obviously I wouldn't be here. If that doesn't happen I want to be two-deep or at least on the traveling team. Its harder to stay a starter than to initially become a starter."

To gain an offensive lineman starting spot, Mealer will have to beat out his current teammates and three four-star caliber offensive line recruits who have committed to play for Michigan. Taylor Lewan (6-6, 270) from Scottsdale, Ariz., is ranked 20th nationally, Michael Schofield (6-6, 270) from Orland Park, Illi., is ranked 18th and Quinton Washington (6-3, 315) from St. Stephen, S.C., is ranked eighth nationally.

Mealer reflected on the recruiting class and what it means to him.

"Some of the guys I met on official visits and they were all really classy guys. I don't really pay attention to how many stars this guy is or how great he is supposed to be because, quite honestly, it doesn't matter," said Mealer. "That's something I had to find out too."

If Mealer does expect to start, he will have to improve on his technique and also overcome the speed of the college game that stymies many young college recruits.

"The speed of the game is just incredibly different from high school," reflected Mealer. "I talked to guys who I had played with at Wauseon and told them about the first time I faced speed in practice. I was playing left tackle against Tim Jamison (2008 starting defensive end). He comes at me and in high school you are taught to get your hands on him and move, but he slapped my hands down before I ever got them up. The next thing I realize I'm on the ground asking what happened and he's sacking the quarterback."

Besides the speed, the physical nature of college football can be foreign to young players due to players in high school lacking size and intensity. Mealer relates an incident when he was expected to block Wolverine fifth-year senior linebacker John Thompson.

"In high school, linebackers wanted to avoid offensive lineman, but he (Thompson) came at me hitting me helmet-to-helmet then peeling off to make the tackle. I wondered if I had sustained a concussion after that hit, but that is how physical the college game is."

Mealer has received much needed encouragement and help from Michigan starting right tackle Steve Schilling.

"He's really a great guy," explained Mealer. "He gave me a lot of guidance about not letting stuff get to me, especially failing or getting yelled at by the coaches. I was really worried about college because I thought everyone would be competing for a position and not care about anyone else, but that wasn't true. Everyone helps each other and whoever deserves to play really does deserve to play."

Michigan finished 3-9 and snapped its 33-year record of consecutive bowl appearances. Despite that, Mealer believes that the team is positive and eager to begin next season on a new note.

"Last year was just a bad year, but you can't pin that on the seniors. After the Ohio State loss and the seniors had been dismissed, it felt like the underclassman realized that it was time to get down to business," said Mealer. "The past was behind us and it was time to move on. Some of us freshmen were talking about how hard the offseason workouts have been. But then we realized that as bad as we were last year, we had to work that much harder to improve this year."

The team in general has several goals for the upcoming season as does any college football team. But in Michigan's case, the bowl record wasn't the only thing lost in a dismal season. The Wolverines lost for the first time against a Mid-American Conference school when they were upset by Toledo.

Later in the season losses to rival Michigan State, Northwestern and Ohio State had the Wolverines looking less and less like the program that they have been immortalized for.

Mealer gives an inside view of the attitude of the team and coaches following last year's losing season.

"When you talk about Michigan, you think of football and the tradition," said Mealer. "Next season and the seasons after will be about bringing the winning tradition back to Michigan. Coach Rodriguez always talks about the fact Michigan used to be able to come down the tunnel with the winged-helmets and just that sight was worth seven points due to intimidation. Now teams don't fear us, they believe they have a chance to beat us so we have to get that intimidation back."

Mealer and Michigan will not have an easy time accomplishing their goals in the upcoming years. For inspiration, Mealer looks to his brother Brock who is paralyzed, and was once told he would never walk again.

"He's always got a great attitude despite his circumstances," explained Mealer. "Last time I saw him, his therapist told him that his hips were so strong that his legs might also be able to get strong and there's a chance he may walk. For them to be that optimistic, especially after they said he would never walk again. Now he is making them believe there is a chance.

"It's funny really because he had an attitude even when they told him that on that Christmas Eve, he looked at the doctors as if to say: 'Really, we'll see about that.' He and I believe that there is no doubt that he will walk again but it will be according to God's timing, not ours."

Brock recently graduated from Ohio State. When asked if there was any tension between the brothers about their choice of schools, Elliot explained the true nature of the relationship.

"He is definitely a Wolverine at heart. At his graduation, under his gown he wore a Michigan shirt which nobody really knew. I give him a hard time about it (the rivalry), but it's more in fun than anything else."

Elliot will enter the season with many hopes, not only for himself, but also for his brother. If heart and humbleness are any indicator of success, Mealer should have no trouble accomplishing his goals.