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Posted on Thu, May 10, 2012 : 7:44 p.m.

Defensive lineman Chris Rock leaves Michigan football team, spokesman confirms

By Kyle Meinke

Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Chris Rock has left the Michigan football team, a program spokesman confirmed Thursday afternoon.

UMFB_Chris_Rock.jpg

Chris Rock

A reason was not given for his departure, which was first reported on Twitter by The Wolverine.

Rock was a 6-foot-5, 267-pound defensive end from Columbus, Ohio. He did not play last year, and was not expected to factor into the rotation next year.

Rock is the 13th player to leave the program early since the arrival of Brady Hoke, joining:

• Offensive lineman Tony Posada (out of football)
• Receiver Je'ron Stokes (Bowling Green)
• Tight end Christopher Barnett (unknown)
• Linebacker Kellen Jones (Oklahoma, then Clemson)
• Defensive back Greg Brown (Findlay)
• Receiver Darryl Stonum (undecided)
• Safety Carvin Johnson (Hampton)
• Linebacker Isaiah Bell (unknown)
• Center Rocko Khoury (forewent fifth year)
• Long-snapper George Morales (forewent fifth year)
• Tailback Michael Cox (forewent fifth year, transferred to Massachusetts)
• Receiver Terrence Robinson (forewent fifth year)
• Defensive end Chris Rock (unknown)

Have any updates on these players? Feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.

Comments

D21

Sat, May 12, 2012 : 10:47 p.m.

Urby Myth is the reason for it.

rightmind250

Sat, May 12, 2012 : 2:16 p.m.

13 players in just over 1 season? The SEC has nothing on this guy. That is by far and away the poorest record known. Not even oversigner Saban can boast about running off more players than Hoke.

Nick

Tue, May 22, 2012 : 8:07 p.m.

that's funny coming from an O$U fan. most of the attrition can be attributed to either lack of playing time or poor fit schematically. stonum had his legal troubles, 4 or 5 players chose not to stay for their redshirt senior year, and a few barely made it onto campus, if at all. that is far and away the poorest record known to somebody that doesn't do his homework, is incredibly biased, and not overly intelligent. somebody in urban meyer's camp can't really talk...he "rearranged" the roster to get some talented kids trying to commit when there was no space, making cuts and taking back "offers" at the last minute to kids who had their hearts set on playing at OSU, or had already been on the team there. that says it all about what kind of person he is.

Hailmary

Sun, May 13, 2012 : 10:31 a.m.

rightmind, for whatever reason you spend a lot of time seemingly concerned about Brady and our Wolves. The only time I think about ohio or any other Big 10 team is when I think they are a cause of concern as in good.

Steve McQueen

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 9:59 p.m.

Those who try hard, do what is asked of them and stay will be champions. Those that do not play well and refuse to switch positions to benefit the team, leave.

Hookemhorn

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 8:12 p.m.

Another thing you should pay attention to is that Kellen Jones is the only one on the list that transfered to a decent D1 program. The rest went to either D2 or are out of football, so they really had no shot of seeing the field at Michigan!

Greg M

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 7:52 p.m.

Weeding out…As Bo Schembechler had guys leave the team because they couldn't handle the demanding practices, he had a sign made and put it above the door saying: "Those Who Stay Will Be CHAMPIONS" ...Brady Hoke is reestablishing the toughness of Michigan Football we all love…A philosophy that was abandoned by Rich Rod

Kris

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 6:32 p.m.

Just FYI, Isaiah Bell, Rocko Khoury, Mike Cox, Terrance Robinson, and George Morales were all asked not to come back. The guys who "forewent" their 5th year all graduated this spring.

Chad Williams

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 3:06 p.m.

So guys leaving is part of college football? Did sound that way 3 years ago. Remember how guys were leaving and it was all the coaches fault? Now the same thing happens now and its the players feeling some type of way and not the coach making them feel that way. 3 years ago guys left and had nothing good to say now they leave with their mouth shut. Im sure there are similar reasons with certain players from this staff and the last staff. It sounds like this program is protecting hokes image as this god like figure who makes no mistakes. He is human he is a coach he had a winning season not a championship season. So where are those transfers and the reason why they left and why isnt it an article about there decision.

Ted Bundy

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 4:58 p.m.

"So where are those transfers and the reason why they left and why isnt it an article about there decision." Chad, every single play departure has been documented with actual reason and/or speculated reason over the past year or so. I dont understand what more "reason" you want? Everybody knows but you apparently.

PillowRock

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 4:19 p.m.

First of all, backups who've graduated deciding not to stay for a fifth year is completely normal. Those guys don't belong on this list of people leaving "early". (Also, while I can understand including him on the list, Stonum is also a separate case, and clearly not a matter of a kid deciding to get away from the coaching staff.) And, every once in a while a kid from across the country will find that they are terribly homesick and move back closer to home. So I can't hold McGuffie against RR. That aside, getting back to the point you're trying to make: Do you really not see any difference between kids who are buried on the depth chart (and can see that it figures to stay that way) deciding to go to smaller schools where they'll play, and clear starters (like Boren and Mallett) deciding that they need to get out?

michboy40

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 2:04 p.m.

This is all about playing time, plain and simple. Even with the thin depth at Michigan, this kid was barely going to see the field. He will go to the MAC and be a starter, and good for him. These kids want to PLAY.

David Vande Bunte

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 1:26 p.m.

"He did not play last year, and was not expected to factor into the rotation next year." Think that might have had something to do with his decision?

Hookemhorn

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 1 p.m.

Yeah, four players chose not to return for a fifth season and Darryl Stonum was kicked off, so that list is a little misleading.

Elaine F. Owsley

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 12:36 p.m.

Maybe they forgot "if you stay, you will become champions". And, what does "forewent fifth year" mean?

Bruce Kennedy

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 3:19 p.m.

It means that a student athlete comes to college with four years of elgibility to play sports. An athlete can be "Redshirted" for any number of reasons. This means in essence the athlete does not participate enough during that year to lose a year of elgibility. Freshmen are often "Redshirted" because the chance of them starting is slim, yet they get to be on the team, participate in practices, suit up and learn from upperclassmen without losing a year of elgibility. Injury is another common reason for "Redshirting" a player. Because of "Redshirting", a student athlete gets an extra year of elgibility, a "fifth year". So obviously when a student athelete chooses not to use their fifth year of elgibility, it is said they "forewent their fifth year"

Hailmary

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 12:28 p.m.

The young man probably was not going to play in the near future if at all hence, adios amigo's and I can't blame him and wish him the best. A few years ago when Anthony Carter wanted to leave the program because he was, "homesick" Bo fought hard and fast to keep Anthony on, "the team" it worked and as they say, "the rest is history".

81wolverine

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 12:02 p.m.

Anyone who has followed Michigan football for a long time knows that attrition as described in the article is normal - especially when there is a change in coaching staffs. There's nothing to worry about here folks. Kids leave for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's academics, sometimes it's a playing time issue, sometimes it's differences with a new position coach, who knows? I wish the best of luck to Mr. Rock and now Michigan will have an extra scholarship to use on a player who potentially wants to be here.

heartbreakM

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 1:53 a.m.

With the timing, after the semester grades came out, who knows if the academics didn't have something to do with it. PT for a person in a redshirt year should not really be a big deal. Whatever it is, this happens all the time. One thing about that list--You can't really include the players who left before a fifth year. They gave a full time allotment and hopefully graduated.

Tru2Blu76

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 1:47 a.m.

I don't see a problem here. If players can leave early for the NFL, they certainly should be able to leave for "unknown" or transfer to clearly lower tier schools - or forgo their 5th year. Offsetting this, Hoke built a solid list of incoming freshmen in his first recruiting season and is ahead of all other Div I football programs for 2013. Looks to me Hoke may have to bolt the doors to Schembechler Hall to slow the stampede of top players wanting in. If this keeps up, Urban Meyer may show up looking to get in as an assistant coach - in the most popular and respected college football program in the country. It would be a promotion, after all. Funny coincidence: I just today got my latest movie selection from Netflix: it's The Departed.

AA native, ND fan

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 6 a.m.

Most popular and respected football program in the country? Ummm, ok. UM has a case to be up there, but so do others... and some probably have a better case (ND, TX, etc.). Either way, it certainly ain't as cut and dry as you seem to think.

Kyle Meinke

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 1:57 a.m.

Tru2Blue76, I guess I'll say that, yeah, I agree with you. Nothing to worry about. Don't know anything in regards to why Rock left, but not having a spot in the rotation, plus the glut of DL recruits hitting the program in the fall, surely didn't help. But to be honest, the only reason I'm responding is to say well done on the move selection! Great film. Enjoy it, good sir.

Matt Patercsak

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 1:16 a.m.

Craig Roh had better stay healthy.

zeeba

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 1:06 a.m.

Did he chose to move on or was he advised to? That's the question here. This looks like a pretty high attrition rate. You have to wonder if Hoke isn't following the SEC model of pushing underperformers out to free up more scholarship spots to pan for more gold. Given that these kids are supposed to make a commitment to a school coming out of high school, you'd think these schools ought to make a commitment to them as well.

Hailmary

Sun, May 13, 2012 : 10:35 a.m.

zeeba, do you really care what goes on at Mich. or are you just scared of us. I don't usually protest about something as you do unless I'm afraid of it, is that you zeeba ?

Ted Bundy

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 12:34 p.m.

Guys, Zeeba is just trollin. Chris Rock was asked to move to offensive guard and he didnt want to do that. I wish the best of luck to him. It is definately in his right as a free American to seek more playing time at the postition he wants to play. There is always attrition with new coaching staffs. To make anything more of it is silly.

81wolverine

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 12:08 p.m.

I can't prove it, but my strong belief is that Coach Hoke takes the opposite approach of SEC coaches who force underperforming kids out the door. From what I've heard, he is fair with his kids, but expects a lot from them. Some of the cases mentioned above had nothing to do with performance per se either. Kellen Jones got into some sort of trouble and never enrolled. Posada just didn't want to play football any more. Barnett was hardly here for long during fall practice before deciding Michigan wasn't right for him. And we all know why Stonum left. In any case commitment is a two-way street.

Scott Laux

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 2:48 a.m.

it is a good question and a noble belief that the commitment is a two way street. I hope so.

GoBigBlue

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 2:21 a.m.

How do you know Hoke wasn't committed to this kid? You making a statement like this is what is called an assumption. The facts are not known.

vitaltoofor

Fri, May 11, 2012 : 12:09 a.m.

Who's the next u of m defector going to be, Eddie Murphy or Jerry Seinfeld?

Steve McQueen

Thu, May 10, 2012 : 11:56 p.m.

Michigan football is not for everyone. Some are just not ready to play here. Sounds like Mr. Rock saw the writing on the wall which is that he was not in the rotation of DE for playing time in the near future....so he chose to move on.