Michigan Football Q&A: Amara Darboh
11/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
Amara Darboh's second-quarter touchdown
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan players and coaches will sit down with MGoBlue.com's Steve Kornacki weekly during the 2015 season to discuss Wolverine football. Wide receiver Amara Darboh spoke on Sunday (Nov. 22) about the 28-16 win at Penn State, hosting Ohio State on Senior Day, Chad Carr's inspiration and what he has to be thankful for in a year in which he also became a U.S. citizen.
Q. Well, it's time for "The Game." What does this game with the Buckeyes mean to you?
A. It's the greatest rivalry in college football, and so I don't know what else can be said about it. We come out ready to play. They come out ready to play. And whoever comes out and plays the best will win.
Q. Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State are tied atop the East Division of the Big Ten at 6-1. But you need some help to get to the Dec. 5 Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis. If you beat the Buckeyes, you also need Penn State to win at Michigan State to get to Indy. What are your thoughts on that possibility?
A. We just have to focus on our game against Ohio State and do what we can to win our game. That's all we can do.
Q. What do you have to be most concerned with against the Buckeyes?
A. I think we're more concerned about us and going out there and executing without mistakes and then going out there and playing the way we're capable of playing.
Q. It's also going to be Senior Day. You didn't play because of a foot injury in 2013 and could be back for another year. But are you going to take part in the pre-game recognition. Who are you expecting to be there?
A. It's going to be a great moment, and I know I will have family there to support me. The Schaefers will be there, and my family members from Africa are still making plans. So, I'm not sure who all will be there. But I'll be supported.
Note: Dan and Maureen Schaefer welcomed Darboh into their family and their son, Max, has been "a brother" to Amara ever since their first meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2001, when a Christian group sponsored his family's immigration. Though, Darboh's parents, Solimon and Kadita, died during a Civil War his native Sierra Leone, located on the west coast of Africa. He has several siblings.
Q. You became a U.S. Citizen in September, your team is 9-2 after going 5-7 last year, and it's been some year for you. What will you be most thankful for this week on Thanksgiving Day?
A. I'm most thankful for all the people I am fortunate to have in my life, and I'm very fortunate to have had a lot of great things happen in my life. I'm excited.
Darboh becoming a U.S. citizen.
Q. You lead the team with 52 catches and 635 yards receiving, but Jehu Chesson and tight end Jake Butt also have exceeded 500 yards. That's a pretty balanced air attack you have with quarterback Jake Rudock. How has spreading the ball around affected defenses?
A. When a quarterback has multiple people to go to, it's hard for a defense to key in on one specific guy. And if they do key in on one of us, it gives somebody else the opportunity to have a big game.
Q. Where have you improved your game this year?
A. I've tried to make bigger plays and be more of a playmaker. And my blocking and my route-running also are things I've tried to improve upon.
Q. Jedd Fisch has coached you this year as a receiver. He's been an offensive coordinator in the NFL. What impact has he had on you?
A. He's been great and has had a great impact on all of us. He believes in us and encourages us to go out there and make plays and do all that we're capable of. He's also helped me pay even more attention to every detail. He makes you comfortable when you play.
Q. Your 11-yard touchdown catch at Penn State came with one minute left in the first half and was a momentum-changer because it put you back in the lead, 14-10. How did that play develop?
A. It was a quick screen play we ran, and I got an important block from (freshman receiver) Grant Perry, and I cut it up. We needed an important score before the half, and I felt like I had to get in the end zone.
Q. You and your teammates wrote Chad Carr's name on your helmets at the Indiana game (Nov. 14) and dedicated the game to him before pulling out a win in two overtimes. How has he inspired you as he's battled?
A. We've loved having him and his family come out to practices, and it's hard to see them going through that. He's inspired me because I couldn't imagine going through that at such a young age. We're there to support Chad, support his family and make it as easy as possible for them.
Note: Chad Carr, 5, is in hospice care with an inoperable brain tumor. His father, Jason, was a Wolverines quarterback and his grandfather, Lloyd, was a Hall of Fame coach at Michigan. Chad's maternal grandfather, Tom Curtis, also is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. Curtis was an All-America cornerback at Michigan in 1969 and his daughter, Tammi, is Chad's mother.
Q. Your coach, Jim Harbaugh, guaranteed victory over Ohio State before he played in Columbus as a senior and delivered that win in 1986. It was a pretty fiery guarantee, too. Can you picture him doing that as a player?
A. (Laughter). Yes, yes I can. He's a pretty intense guy. I could see him doing that.
