Deacon Sports Xtra: Jurgens Using Final Year to Grow Leadership Abilities
3/28/2023 11:47:00 AM | Football
“It’ll give me a chance to have some position flexibility, which pushes me outside my comfort zone. I can’t just be on auto-pilot. I have to stay focused. Everything is new. It’s hard to leave here with this staff.” - Michael Jurgens
A little less than six years ago, high school senior Michael Jurgens had a recruiting dinner with then Wake Forest offensive lineman Jake Benzinger, as the Wake Forest staff made the Damascus, Maryland prospect a high priority for the 2018 class.
Last week, Benzinger, now an offensive analyst on the Wake Forest staff and Jurgens had another recruiting dinner together, this time with a prospect targeted for the 2024 class.
"Now, we're here together with a recruit. It's come full circle and speaks to the culture that coach Tabacca has built along with folks like Phil Haynes, Jake Benzinger, Ryan Anderson and Justin Herron," Jurgens said. "People want to be here and give back. It's something special."
While Benzinger joined the staff at the start of the year, Jurgens made his decision to return for one more season a few months ago, seeking a holistic approach to his final few months on campus.
"The opportunity was presented to come back," Jurgens, now a sixth-year senior, explained. "The past few years, Sam (Hartman), Blake (Whiteheart) and I have been a group, really since we came in together. For me, this is an opportunity to grow my leadership abilities in this experience.
"It's an opportunity to branch out. It'll give me a chance to have some position flexibility, which pushes me outside my comfort zone. I can't just be on auto-pilot. I have to stay focused. Everything is new. It's hard to leave here with this staff — (offensive line) coach (Nick) Tabacca, coach (Dave) Clawson and (strength and conditioning coach) Chad (Bari). They do so much for us and have poured so much into me the last five years. I feel like there was more I could give back."
A meeting with Wake Forest athletic director John Currie last year heavily impacted Jurgen's mission and focus.
"We were talking about careers and things like that, and I realized I haven't put much into that," Jurgens admitted.
Wake Forest director of player development Wendell Dunn has started a series of weekly meetings called Top Hat Wednesdays, which so far has dealt with NIL, investing and taxes.
"He talks about the importance of becoming a complete human, and accomplishing your goals both on and off the field," Jurgens said. "When you do things that serve both those roles, it helps you become more complete and vice-versa. On the field, switching to guard is helping me become a more complete player and an offensive lineman.
"I'm trying to step into a larger leadership role. I want to become a more complete person. They are doing a great job here in getting us exposure to career opportunities. Wendell has done a great job in his role of helping us develop as people."
Jurgens will finish his MBA in May and then complete a certificate program in project management before he finishes up his coursework at Wake Forest in December. On the field, he believes the growth of the offensive line can help reestablish the Deacs to the level they achieved in 2021 where they claimed an ACC Atlantic Championship.
"Coach Clawson has done this forever and he's incredibly smart," Jurgens said. "He talked about every team having a range of games they can win. You look at the 2021 team, and we probably hit at the top of our range, maybe one game short of the top of our range. Then last year we had the same, if not better talent, but fell at the bottom of our range.
"Offensively, you look at we had all those close games, like Duke, UNC and Clemson. Turnover margin, special teams and things that are a part of our plan to winning games, didn't go our way. We have to get back on the positive side of turnover margin. We have to make a difference on special teams. Those little things are what make big things happen. They're very important."
While Jurgens is learning to play guard, Luke Petitbon is assuming the center role, while experienced starters Spencer Clapp and DeVonte Gordon are also returning on the offensive line. There's several talented players in the mix to fill the next three-to-five roles in the rotation.
"You look at the culture of mentorship that coach Tabacca has built in the room," Jurgens said. "It's just gotten better and better every year."
Last week, Benzinger, now an offensive analyst on the Wake Forest staff and Jurgens had another recruiting dinner together, this time with a prospect targeted for the 2024 class.
"Now, we're here together with a recruit. It's come full circle and speaks to the culture that coach Tabacca has built along with folks like Phil Haynes, Jake Benzinger, Ryan Anderson and Justin Herron," Jurgens said. "People want to be here and give back. It's something special."
While Benzinger joined the staff at the start of the year, Jurgens made his decision to return for one more season a few months ago, seeking a holistic approach to his final few months on campus.
"The opportunity was presented to come back," Jurgens, now a sixth-year senior, explained. "The past few years, Sam (Hartman), Blake (Whiteheart) and I have been a group, really since we came in together. For me, this is an opportunity to grow my leadership abilities in this experience.
"It's an opportunity to branch out. It'll give me a chance to have some position flexibility, which pushes me outside my comfort zone. I can't just be on auto-pilot. I have to stay focused. Everything is new. It's hard to leave here with this staff — (offensive line) coach (Nick) Tabacca, coach (Dave) Clawson and (strength and conditioning coach) Chad (Bari). They do so much for us and have poured so much into me the last five years. I feel like there was more I could give back."
A meeting with Wake Forest athletic director John Currie last year heavily impacted Jurgen's mission and focus.
"We were talking about careers and things like that, and I realized I haven't put much into that," Jurgens admitted.
Wake Forest director of player development Wendell Dunn has started a series of weekly meetings called Top Hat Wednesdays, which so far has dealt with NIL, investing and taxes.
"He talks about the importance of becoming a complete human, and accomplishing your goals both on and off the field," Jurgens said. "When you do things that serve both those roles, it helps you become more complete and vice-versa. On the field, switching to guard is helping me become a more complete player and an offensive lineman.
"I'm trying to step into a larger leadership role. I want to become a more complete person. They are doing a great job here in getting us exposure to career opportunities. Wendell has done a great job in his role of helping us develop as people."
Jurgens will finish his MBA in May and then complete a certificate program in project management before he finishes up his coursework at Wake Forest in December. On the field, he believes the growth of the offensive line can help reestablish the Deacs to the level they achieved in 2021 where they claimed an ACC Atlantic Championship.
"Coach Clawson has done this forever and he's incredibly smart," Jurgens said. "He talked about every team having a range of games they can win. You look at the 2021 team, and we probably hit at the top of our range, maybe one game short of the top of our range. Then last year we had the same, if not better talent, but fell at the bottom of our range.
"Offensively, you look at we had all those close games, like Duke, UNC and Clemson. Turnover margin, special teams and things that are a part of our plan to winning games, didn't go our way. We have to get back on the positive side of turnover margin. We have to make a difference on special teams. Those little things are what make big things happen. They're very important."
While Jurgens is learning to play guard, Luke Petitbon is assuming the center role, while experienced starters Spencer Clapp and DeVonte Gordon are also returning on the offensive line. There's several talented players in the mix to fill the next three-to-five roles in the rotation.
"You look at the culture of mentorship that coach Tabacca has built in the room," Jurgens said. "It's just gotten better and better every year."
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