Michigan vs Illinois October 16, 2004

The defensive player of the week in the Big Ten this past week was Michigan's Ernest Chazor.

It's about time someone recognized the importance of this kid because he has gotten significantly better each season and has made a number of huge plays for Michigan this year.

He is all over the field.

Michigan moves him around to take advantage of his ability.

Why does he think he's playing so well?

I think I'm taking this season more serious as last year.

Last year I was a junior.

I really didn't expect a lot of things, but this year I'm taking things more serious because it's my senior year.

I have an extra year, but it's my senior year, so I have to step up and make the young guys better so I can be a leader.

That's basically it.

When you become a senior, Coach Carr expects a lot of things out of you, so I'm just trying to be a leader this year.

He has done that, and another guy you cannot ignore in that defense is Gabe Watson.

This kid is a difference maker and improving rapidly.

Maybe one reason for his success, he's lost about 30 to 40 pounds.

In high school, he weighed almost 370.

Now he's in the 330, 340 range and dropping.

How did Gabe do it?

Well, I didn't go on a subway diet, but...

As you can see, he's got a pleasant personality, a fun guy who definitely is enjoying the way he's playing and the way the team is going and the way he feels and looks.

Here's a more serious answer to how he's losing the weight.

You lose a lot of water weight in two days, like, real fast.

So I step on a scale and lose eight pounds, like, yay.

And then come back the next day, like, ten pounds back up, like, you know.

So sometimes, you know, because your weight fluctuates so much, you get, like, kind of down on yourself, things like that.

And you feel like you're not only letting yourself down, but the team down as well.

The defensive player of the week in the Big Ten this past week was Michigan's Ernest Chazor.

It's about time someone recognized the importance of this kid because he has gotten significantly better each season and has made a number of huge plays for Michigan this year.

He is all over the field.

Michigan moves him around to take advantage of his ability.

Why does he think he's playing so well?

I think I'm taking this season more serious as last year.

Last year I was a junior.

I really didn't expect a lot of things, but this year I'm taking things more serious because it's my senior year.

I have an extra year, but it's my senior year, so I have to step up and make the young guys better so I can be a leader.

That's basically it.

When you become a senior, Coach Carr expects a lot of things out of you, so I'm just trying to be a leader this year.

He has done that, and another guy you cannot ignore in that defense is Gabe Watson.

This kid is a difference maker and improving rapidly.

Maybe one reason for his success, he's lost about 30 to 40 pounds.

In high school, he weighed almost 370.

Now he's in the 330, 340 range and dropping.

How did Gabe do it?

Well, I didn't go on a subway diet, but...

As you can see, he's got a pleasant personality, a fun guy who definitely is enjoying the way he's playing and the way the team is going and the way he feels and looks.

Here's a more serious answer to how he's losing the weight.

You lose a lot of water weight in two days, like, real fast.

So I step on a scale and lose eight pounds, like, yay.

And then come back the next day, like, ten pounds back up, like, you know.

So sometimes, you know, because your weight fluctuates so much, you get, like, kind of down on yourself, things like that.

And you feel like you're not only letting yourself down, but the team down as well.