The Free Safety. He is a man of whom much is asked.

He must be the hawk that swoops across large distances to kill a rodent for dinner break up a pass:

He must be the missile that disrupts an enemy air force:

He must be The Wolf that corrects others’ mistakes:

No, not that kind of wolf. This kind of Wolf:

This is what is expected of the free safety. But none of these descriptions fairly applies to Michigan’s free safety this year, because the starting back 7 on Michigan is an unmitigated disaster consists of less than 7 scholarship players will be challenged extensively. Problems loom here, and it is unrealistic to expect greatness from the man who will be forced to deal with those problems.

So, what do we ask of our completely unknown wildcard brand new Free Safety Cameron Gordon? Comrades, Cam Gordon’s job is a bit simpler yet more precarious:

There is a Dutch American legend about a little Dutch boy who noticed a small leak in the dike he was passing. Rather than continue on to school, the little Dutch boy stuck his finger in the dike to stop the leak until help arrived and repairs were made. He acted quickly and decisively, and because of his self-sacrifice he saved his town and the surrounding countryside from ruin.

Can you see the analogy, boys and girls? Cam Gordon should not be expected to be a superb free safety, a ball hawk, a roving missile, or a vaguely menacing cleaner for the Mob, at least not yet. His job is to prevent disaster, and wait for help to arrive (in the next few recruiting classes). His job is to be Not A Catastrophe, and in so doing enable the defense overall to be Not A Catastrophe.

Cam Gordon, Dike Fingerer (swirl that phrase around in your mouth and enjoy). Let us down a shot to honor Cam Gordon in his thankless task as this year’s Defender at the Gate!