Why Corum was a Natural for 'The Happiest Place on Earth'

Harbaugh says of his tailback, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and quarterback J.J. McCarthy : 'Those three strike me as the most perfect for Disneyland. They are young at heart, kids at heart.'

Photos Courtesy of Disneyland

Wolverines (L to R) Kris Jenkins, Mikey Sainristil and Blake Corum wave and smile for the crowd as confetti falls at the parade down Main Street, U.S.A.

Posing at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle Wednesday (L to R) were Michigan’s Mikey Sainristil, Blake Corum, Kris Jenkins and Coach Jim Harbaugh, Mickey Mouse, and Alabama coach Nick Saban with linebacker Dallas Turner, quarterback Jalen Milroe and defensive back Malachi Moore.

By Steve Kornacki

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Blake Corum – as much or perhaps more than any Wolverine – fits like a glove at Disneyland.

And it’s not because one of the long-time favorite rides here is “It’s a Small World After All.”

It’s that always-smiling, always-effervescent, always-positive quality that Corum – who has rushed for 3,520 yards and shares the program’s career lead in rushing touchdowns at 55 – brings to everything he does in life.

Whether it’s playing Santa for children while dispersing Christmas gifts at a suburban Detroit shopping mall, handing out turkeys to families in Ypsilanti, Mich., or doing a post-game interview – Corum does it like a Disney character.

He wins you over in seconds, makes you smile even faster.

I asked Corum if the joy he openly possesses ties into him relating to and enjoying Disneyland.

“I have,” he said. “My parents took us to Disney World [in Orlando, Fla. from their home in Marshall, Va.] a couple times. And I went to Disneyland last year [while in Los Angeles for surgical repair] but couldn’t ride any rides. So, I’m excited to ride some rides today and maybe meet some people. I want to ride Space Mountain – I’ve never been on it but it’s at the top of everybody’s list.

“It was great in the parade just seeing everyone smile. It brought joy to my heart.”

I asked Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who joined his players here Wednesday afternoon in the theme park’s Rose Bowl salute to his team and opponent Alabama, if Corum was his most Disney-like player.

Harbaugh smiled widely while pondering that question, and quickly said, “Yeah, I’d say it’s probably a tie between Blake, Kris Jenkins and [quarterback] J.J. McCarthy. Those three strike me as the most perfect for Disneyland. They are young at heart, kids at heart.”

Defensive lineman Jenkins and defensive back Mikey Sainristil joined Corum in a horse-drawn carriage decorated with rose bouquets during the parade down Main Street, U.S.A. Corum said the players, coaches and staff members were given the option of spending between two and four hours at Disney during late afternoon.

“Doing fun things like this,” said Corum. “You know, we had a great practice this morning, come in here, and are able to relax. It’s a great time, and it’s ‘The Happiest Place on Earth.’ So, it’s a wonderful time.”

Corum’s favorite Disney character?

“Probably Mickey,” he said, smiling. “I’m a big Mickey guy.”

The Wolverines posed for a photo in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle along with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban and three of his biggest stars – quarterback Jalen Milroe, linebacker Dallas Turner and defensive back Malachi Moore.

How Moore, Turner and Co. do against Corum and the Wolverines’ rushing attack could well be a deciding element in the game.

Michigan ranked just 61^st in rushing offense nationally at 161.8 yards per game.

Alabama is 29^th in rushing defense at 124.5 yards allowed per game.

The Crimson Tide stepped up big in beating Georgia (12-1) in the SEC Championship Game, holding the Bulldogs to 31 carries for 78 yards (2.5 per carry). But they nearly lost at Auburn (6-6) by allowing the Tigers 42 carries for 244 yards (5.8 average).

I asked Corum what he saw as the differences in those two Alabama performances.

“Different types of runs,” he said. “You know, run schemes where Auburn was running a lot of outside zone. I mean, Georgia had one decent run, where they scored on a touchdown. But I was thinking maybe Alabama prepared for those offenses differently.

“Maybe Alabama didn’t show up to play against Auburn, and they showed up to play against Georgia obviously. So, it can depend on the day. But Auburn was able to run the ball and Georgia did OK.’’

What will it take for the Wolverines to run successfully against the Tide?

“We must start fast – assert our dominance in the first two drives,” Corum said without hesitation. “Alabama, they’re a great team coached by great coaches. They stick to their game plan. The offensive line has to fly off the ball, and we can’t make any mistakes. As long as we play as a unit, we should be able to win the ballgame.”

Corum can be counted upon to give everything he has in the game – just as he does with so many of life’s endeavors.

Fox analyst Joel Klatt paid him a huge compliment during the Big Ten Championship Game win over Iowa:

“I don’t know if I’ve covered a better person in the last few years than Blake Corum, and there’s been a lot of exceptional young men in this sport. But Blake Corum, boy, he is at the top of the list. One of the great individuals that I’ve gotten to meet.”

I repeated that quote for Corum.

“That’s my first time hearing that,” he said, “but that means a lot. It means I’m doing something right. It means someone who has been in the game for a while sees something good. So, it means a lot coming from Joel Klatt, and I definitely appreciate that, Joel. It means a lot, and I am going to continue to do God’s work.”

Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore noted, “If one of my daughters came home with Blake Corum, I’d be extremely happy. A kid like Blake Corum, I’d be super happy…Those are the kinds of kids you want to be around all the time.”

So, in that way, Corum would fit right in here at Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, home of Princess Aurora. He could be her Prince Phillip in football pads.

Moore, whose daughters, Shiloh and Solei, are years away from dating, also says Corum (5-foot-8, 213 pounds) is a lean, mean runner who picks up those tough yards in goal-line and short-yardage situations behind talented, veteran blockers.

“He has an innate ability to find holes that nobody else sees,” said Moore. “And he’s just so strong. He’s one of the strongest people on the team, and that’s when you need that strength to show up. You watch him, and his legs never stop moving. Sometimes, it’s hard to find him because he’s so short. But he’s not small. He’s all of 215, 220 pounds, and there’s not a lot of fat on there.

“It comes at you fast and it comes at you violently, and it’s hard to stop. So, I think that’s what makes him really special. He fears nothing. Everybody’s seen the picture of blood [trickling down his nose]. And every game, he comes out with a bloody nose. And I’m just like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on. How does that happen? But he just keeps going. So, he’s a special player.”

Corum was named Michigan’s Offensive Player of the Year, and also its Blue Collar Player of the Year.

“He’s just a tone setter,” said Moore of his work ethic. “He’s been that way since he’s been here. When he was a freshman, we had to tell him to stop working out so much because he was tearing his body down. He just walks in the building and he sets a tone – the way he carries himself, what he does.”

 He was selected as a first team All-American by the AFCA, is the nation’s leading scorer with 144 points (11.1 per game), and became the Wolverines’ single-season record holder with 24 rushing touchdowns this season. He surpassed 1,000 yards rushing for the second year in a row (1,028) with only 12 yards lost on 218 carries, and recently became the fourth back to capture the Big Ten’s Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year Award twice (2022-23). He’s also captain of the AFCA Good Works Team and one of three finalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. Corum was also a Wuerffel Trophy finalist and a semi-finalist for the Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards.

So, he makes big impacts on and off the field.

And, at Disneyland, he made plenty of fans and park patrons smile. He also got to pose with his favorite Disney character, Mickey, and ride all those rides.

“The Happiest Place on Earth,” indeed.