Finally healthy, UMass captain expects big year
1
AMHERST - Things were lining up for Emil Igwenagu to have a big year in 2010. Not only had he been voted captain of the University of Massachusetts football team as a junior, but he was set to have a big role in the Minuteman offense.
UMass coach Kevin Morris planned to use him a lot as plays were drawn up that had Igwenagu lined up as a tight end, a tailback and a fullback.
But in the season opener, he suffered an ankle injury and was never really healthy again the rest of the year. Igwenagu missed three games, but even in the eight he did play, he was never close to 100 percent. He finished with just 12 catches for 142 yards.
"It was frustrating. I had a lot of injuries to deal with that slowed me down on the field," Igwenagu said after a practice one afternoon last week. "There were a lot of games that I got some reps, but not as many as I was supposed to."
Those injuries are behind him now as he is set to start his senior season and Morris is looking forward to heaping a full workload on him. For the second year in a row he and Tyler Holmes have been named captains.
"Emil is healthy and we need him healthy. He would have had a lot of catches last year if he hadn't been hurt. Having him back is huge for us," Morris said. "With Emil on the field, it makes us that much better. He's a top level player in this league."
Igwenagu planned to return to that status. He's been lining up at both tight end and fullback throughout the preseason and Morris said some reps at tailback aren't out of the question either.
"Wherever they need me at the time. I'll play anywhere I can contribute," he said. "I'm back to full health again. I'm feeling good."
The silver lining to Igwenagu's injury was that it allowed Rob Blanchflower to blossom in his absence. Having the duo on the field together will give the Minutemen a pair of experienced reliable players on a team that will have a young quarterback and mostly inexperienced receivers.
Many of those young guys will be looking to Igwenagu, who Morris gave high marks for his leadership in 2010 despite the injury.
"He did a great job last year with leadership even though he was banged up. It's hard to lead when you're not taking every rep in practice and everyone else is, but he did a great job with it," Morris said. "Now with him on the field every snap, every play producing, he's really taken off and you can really see the advantages it has for us on the field and in the locker room."
He takes his captain's role seriously.
"Forty percent of the team is new faces so it's important to set a good example," he said. "Being one of the older guys on the team I have to help coach and teach."
The first game of Igwenagu's last season of college football will take place in Worcester against Holy Cross on Sept. 1. It'll be a homecoming for the Boylston native who was a standout at Holy Name High School.
"It's going to be a lot of fun. I'll have a lot of family and friends going to the game. It's going to be exciting," he said. "I'm ready to go."
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.
