ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Devin Gardner's career path was written in stone.
After a spectacular high-school career, the quarterback was going to attend Michigan, dominate in Rich Rodriguez's spread offense, and contend for the Heisman Trophy.
RichRod is long gone now, along with the spread offense, and Gardner is catching a lot more passes than he's throwing. With Denard Robinson firmly established as the starting quarterback and the Wolverines trying to replace wideouts Junior Hemingway and Darryl Stonum, Gardner is now a multi-positional player.
"At first, we were shorthanded in practices, so I was taking reps to give guys a break," Gardner said. "But it is something that gets me on the field, and I want to play football.
"If the coaches think I can help at receiver, that's what I'll do. If they think I can help at linebacker, I'll do that."
Michigan's shortage became even more acute when Roy Roundtree, Hemingway's successor as the Wolverines' top receiver, injured his knee. He only needed arthroscopic surgery, but the two-week recovery time makes it doubtful that he'll be 100-percent for the much-anticipated opener Sept. 1 against Alabama in Dallas.
"I think he'll be fine," Gardner said. "But if he's not, the rest of us will have to step up.
"That's how things work at Michigan. There's always someone ready to fill a role."
Even though Gardner has caught only one pass in his college career, Robinson has no concerns about throwing to him, whether in an emergency or on a regular basis.
"I think people are going to be stunned when they see what Devin can do out there," Robinson said. "He's such a phenomenal athlete that he could probably play any position on the field.
"But he's great as a receiver. This isn't just a gimmick, believe me."
Robinson has some athletic skills, too, and Gardner has spent a lot of time thinking about the fun Michigan could have with two quarterbacks on the field.
"Trust me, I wouldn't mind throwing some passes to the fastest man in the world," Gardner said of Robinson, who he thinks could beat Usain Bolt in a 40-yard dash. "There's a lot that we could do to people with both of us on the field."
That's what Gardner wants most of all -- to be at quarterback -- and it could still happen. Robinson's record-setting career will be over at the end of this season, and Gardner will have one or two years of eligibility left, depending on the appeal for a medical-redshirt season.
In two years, Gardner has thrown only 33 passes, and he won't get many more attempts this season unless Robinson were to get hurt. Even then, after being outplayed by redshirt freshman Russell Bellomy in the spring game, there's no guarantee he would have a lock on the job.
None of that has changed his original intention -- becoming Michigan's top quarterback.
"If I don't have the confidence to think I can be the starter at Michigan, it's not going to happen," he said. "I do believe I can do that.
"I'll do what the coaches want me to do, but I'm a quarterback."
