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When Enow Etta was a recruit, one of the biggest reasons why he chose the Michigan football team was because he could play EDGE. A lot of other schools wanted him to be a tackle. So, Etta started his career at Michigan as an EDGE, but after some big DT departures, he became the best option to make a switch.
“I was like, ‘Man, screw that.' I came here because Coach Elston wanted me as an edge,” Enow Etta said on the In The Trenches podcast. “After those guys left … the new guys putting me at D-tackle, it's like, ‘Man, this is what I was trying to avoid!' I was in denial at first.”
Etta admitted that he considered transferring away from Michigan, but he ultimately decided to take on the challenge.
“Coach Espo made the transition easier,” he said. “Even Coach Tress talking to a lot of guys in the building, just having the feeling that people believed in me and what I could do.”
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This change was difficult on Etta at first, but now he is taking full advantage of this new opportunity.
“Putting myself in the position to start making plays, start focusing on my technique, really falling in love with the game just because of the work I put in day in and day out — it's really been a journey, and I think it's been great,” Etta said. “So, now, instead of feeling sorry, it's like, ‘Yeah, I can do this. I'm an athlete. I know what I can do.' It's just getting better every day.”
Etta has been polishing his moves, and his favorite is the jab swipe. It sounds like it’s going to help him excel with the Michigan defense this year.
“You can ask Coach Espo: That's my favorite move, that jab swipe,” he said. “And the difference now is instead of five steps up the field, then jab, you take that first step out of your stance and you're still swiping. I think working that swipe over the years has really helped me, because that's been my go-to move. And if a guy can get that, then I'm going to give him power. I think when I'm doing what I'm supposed to do, no one can stop what I got in my arsenal.”
The Michigan football team is supposed to have one of the best defenses in college football, so it will be interesting to see what kind of role Enow Etta has.
