Jake Long - College Career

College Career

Long accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Michigan, where he played for head coach Lloyd Carr's Michigan Wolverines football team from 2003 to 2007. As a freshman, Long was on the 2003 Michigan Wolverines football team roster, but Tony Pape and Adam Stenavich were the starting offensive tackles. He was redshirted for the year as he bulked up to 330 pounds (150 kg). Long traveled with the team to the 2004 Rose Bowl, but did not play in the game.

On June 16, 2004, following his freshman year, he was hospitalized in an intensive-care unit for smoke inhalation injuries when a house rented by nine Michigan Wolverine players caught fire. Long landed on a teammate's automobile escaping the fire covered in soot at about 4:00 AM that Wednesday. When he awoke to the sound of fire alarms, he attempted to exit his room, but was forced back by the smoke. He exited the building by jumping two floors after knocking out the screen in his bedroom window. Long endured procedures where tubes were put down his throat to suction black phlegm from his lungs at the hospital. The tubes also performed Long's breathing while he lay unconscious for the first few days. A few hours before the fire, the Detroit Pistons had won the 2004 NBA Finals and the neighborhood experienced fireworks celebrations. Investigators concluded that the fire likely started with a couch on the front porch, possibly ignited by fireworks from the neighbors. He was released from the University of Michigan Medical Center and was able to spend Father's Day (June 20) back in Lapeer.

As a sophomore member of the 2004 Michigan Wolverines football team, Long competed with senior Dave Schoonover and juniors Mike Kolodzieg, Rueben Riley and Mike Barishaj for the starting position vacated by the graduated Pape. Long impressed the coaches by playing through a turf toe injury. The battle came down to him and Kolodzieg. Long made his Michigan debut on September 4, 2004, in a 43–10 victory over Miami University. He made the travel squad, but he did not play against Notre Dame in the Michigan – Notre Dame rivalry game the following week at Notre Dame Stadium. Kolodzieg started the first two games, but Michigan averaged only 85.5 yards rushing, which ranked 94th nationally among 117 Division I teams. Long became a starter in the third game on September 18 against the San Diego State Aztecs football team. Over the course of the season, he started eight games and Kolodzieg started 4 at right offensive tackle. Kolodzieg also started one game at left tackle. A week after Long was moved into the starting lineup, David Baas was moved from left offensive guard — where he had been a 2003 second team All-American — to center so that Leo Henige, Jr. could enter the starting lineup. After the move, Baas was the co-Rimington Trophy winner that season. The team finished the season as the 2004 Big Ten Conference Co-Champions and were awarded the Big Ten Conference's Bowl Championship Series Bowl game bid. By the time Michigan was preparing for the 2005 Rose Bowl, the team was averaging 156.18 rushing yards per game, which ranked 56th in the nation. Long earned a second team All-Big Ten Conference recognition from the coaches, while linemates guard Matt Lentz, tackle Adam Stenavich and tight end Tim Massaquoi were first-team selections. Baas was Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. Long also received honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition from the media. Long and teammates Chad Henne and Mike Hart were named to Rivals.com's 2004 Freshman All-America first team. Long had post season shoulder surgery and missed 2005 spring practice. In fact, because of the large number of injured players, the team canceled the culminating spring practice intrasquad scrimmage game and instead held an open practice in which players participated in drills.

In August 2005, Long suffered an ankle injury and was sidelined as the 2005 Michigan Wolverines football team's season began. The injury had been caused in training camp when he was zone blocking alongside center Mark Bihl, who got tangled up with nose tackle Gabe Watson. The two fell against the outside of Long's leg and rolled over it. The injury required surgery. Long did not return to the lineup until October 22 on the third possession against the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was the lead blocker on the game-winning overtime touchdown. He started the game the subsequent week against the Northwestern Wildcats. Two weeks later, following a bye week, Long got injured during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers, and his foot was put in a protective boot. The second foot injury was expected to ended his season. He appeared in the subsequent rivalry game against Ohio State Buckeyes, and during the first play, he opposed Bobby Carpenter and Carpenter got a broken leg. After the game, Long appeared to need immediate surgery, which would have caused him to miss the 2005 Alamo Bowl. By the time of the game on December 28, though, he was ready to play. As the team prepared for 2006 spring practice, the left-handed Long was moved from right tackle to left tackle where he would be protecting the blindside of right-handed quarterbacks.

Long entered the season for the 2006 Michigan Wolverines football team listed on numerous preseason conference and national teams as well as watchlists for awards such as the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Trophy. He was on the preseason Outland Trophy watch list along with Levi Brown, Joe Thomas, Justin Blalock, and Herbert Taylor. Long was considered the heart of the Michigan offense, and his teammates voted the redshirt junior to be a co-captain along with senior Woodley. Before the season started, Carr replaced offensive coordinator Terry Malone with Mike DeBord who had previously been offensive coordinator from 1997–1999. Following the 7–5 2005 season which was the worst Michigan season since 1984's 6–6 year, there was pressure on Carr to turn things around and he sought a lighter, faster and better conditioned team. During the offseason, Long reduced his weight from 338 pounds (153 kg) to 316 pounds (143 kg) to improve his agility, speed and conditioning. Under the new coordinator and with newly sculpted fitter athletes the offensive scheme was shifted to concentrate on the zone blocking system. The system was similar to the one used by the Denver Broncos when they won back-to-back Super Bowls and by the Atlanta Falcons to help Warrick Dunn achieve a career-high in rushing yards while the team led the NFL in rushing yards in consecutive seasons. By the middle of November, Michigan had flourished under the new system with an 11–0 record, and some of the credit for the success was attributed to Long, the team captain and offensive leader. Long was recognized as a first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media and was selected as the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. Long was also part of a Michigan record-setting three American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America Team selections along with Woodley and Leon Hall. Long was a consensus (meaning at least half of the recognized lists, which are AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF selected him) 2006 College Football All-America Team first-team selectiton by Associated Press (AP), AFCA, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, Rivals.com, Scout.com. He was a second-team All-American selection by the College Football News. Long was the first offensive lineman who was a Michigan high school graduate selected to the first-team by the FWAA since Paul Seymour was selected to the 1972 College Football All-America Team. Long was believed to be a likely mid to high first round selection if he had chosen to declare himself eligible for the 2007 NFL Draft, but he chose to use his last year of collegiate eligibility and stay for a fifth year. His decision to stay was what convinced Hart to stay in college. Michigan opposed the 2006 USC Trojans football team in the 2007 Rose Bowl and the offensive line that had surrendered 18 quarterback sacks in the first 12 games, allowed 6 in the 32–18 loss to finish the season 11–2. Long became a member of senior honorary society Order of Angell.

Long was a co-captain of the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team, and he again began the season on the Outland Trophy and Rotary Lombardi Award watch lists. He was elected to serve as tri-captain along with Hart and Shawn Crable. Entering the season, the team was picked by the Big Ten media members to win the conference. The season was eagerly anticipated with returning seniors Long, Hart and Chad Henne in key roles, but the season quickly began to fall apart when the team lost to the two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers in the opening game. The loss put Long in a position of having to defend his coach and teammates to ESPN and the nation. In the second game, the team suffered its worst defeat since 1968 and its first consecutive home losses to start the season since 1959. This presented a leadership challenge to Long as team captain. As Michigan won its next eight games, Long was described in the press as the team's most valuable player and an offensive lineman who should be considered for the Heisman Trophy since he was likely to be the first overall pick in the NFL draft. In early November, Long was named one of four finalists (along with Glenn Dorsey, Chris Long, James Laurinaitis) for the Lombardi award that Woodley had won the year before. He was named as an Outland Trophy finalist along with Dorsey and Anthony Collins. When the win streak ended the week before his final Michigan – Ohio State game, he accepted the blame on behalf of the offensive line although the teams offensive stars were injured. At the conclusion of the Big Ten Conference schedule, he was selected again as first-team All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media and as the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. Long, Michael Crabtree and Darren McFadden were the only unanimous offensive 2007 College Football All-America Team selections by AP, AFCA, FWAA, Walter Camp, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, Rivals.com, and Scout.com. In coach Carr's final game before retirement and Long's final game as a Wolverine, the team won the 2008 Capital One Bowl against the Florida Gators in a game that included an attempted Jake Long tackle eligible screen pass. Long declined an invitation to participate in the 2008 Senior Bowl. From February 21–24, 2008, Long attended the NFL Combine, where he excelled.