Wolverine Digest

Former Michigan defender wins NFL Rookie of the Week

Chris Breiler

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

It sure looks like former Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil is adjusting to life in the NFL. Not only has he established himself as an impact player in Washington's defense, he was also just named Rookie of the Week in the final week of the NFL regular season.

Sainristil's Week 18 performance against Dallas proved to be critical in helping the Commanders pull out a 23-19 victory to close out the regular season, as evidenced by the highlight reel below.

What makes it all even more impressive is the fact that Sainristil has only been playing defense for the last three seasons of his career. He started off at Michigan playing wide receiver for his first three seasons of collegiate football, before switching to defensive back for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Following that switch, Sainristil became one of the top defensive backs in all of college football, earning the title of team captain and receiving first team All-American honors in 2023. His stellar play on the defensive side of the ball helped guide the Wolverines to a perfect 15-0 national championship season in 2023, cementing his legacy as a Michigan Football legend.

Here's a closer look at some of his incredible accomplishments on the football field during his time in Ann Arbor, courtesy of MGoBlue.com:

At Michigan

• All-American (first team, 2023)
• Twice voted a captain by his teammates (2022-23)
• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (second team, coaches, 2023; first team, media, 2023; honorable mention, coaches and media, 2022)
• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 20, 2023)
• Won both the Offensive (2021, co-) and Defensive (2022) Skill Player of the Year Awards
• Five-time letterman (2019-20-21-22-23)
• Finished his career tied for the single-season (2023) and career lead in interceptions returned for touchdowns (two)
• Program record-holder in single-season interception return yards (232; 2023) and second in career interception return yards (240)
• Recorded the longest interception return in CFP National Championship Game history (81 yards; 2024)
• Appeared in 62 games in his career at wide receiver, defensive back, and on special teams with 34 starts (nine on offense, 25 on defense) and work at punt returner
• Changed to jersey number 5 from 19 prior to the 2021 season; changed to 0 from 5 prior to the start of the 2022 season
• Though he played both sides of the ball in high school, began his U-M career on offense before switching primarily to defense prior to the 2022 season

- Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

More Michigan News:

Michigan QB Alex Orji sets up first known visit since entering transfer portal

Michigan Football lands second transfer portal offensive lineman

Former Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy could get a career-altering call this offseason

For additional coverage of University of Michigan athletics:

Published
Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

Home/Football