Castel Gandolfo, Italy – Michigan center Cesar Ruiz, all 6-foot-4, 336 pounds of him, sat grounded in a kayak on the Lake Albano beach and needed an assist.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has stressed the team-bonding aspect of his team’s journey to Rome, and this scene Tuesday afternoon, just hours after high-energy speedball competition at Speedball Roma Club, just might have been the perfect example of that.
Fifth-year senior defensive lineman Maurice Hurst, 6-2, 282, waded through the water to give Ruiz, an early-enrollee freshman, the push he needed.
“I’m still on land!” Ruiz shouted as Hurst positioned himself to push the kayak.