How do we react to Devin Gardner playing hurt for Michigan?

Michigan gutted out an 18-13 win against Penn State. During the game, Devin Gardner was seen limping up and down the sidelines after taking a slew of hits behind an iffy offensive line:

(All GIFs via ESPN2)

Gardner was briefly pulled for Russell Bellomy -- who went 0-for-2, lowering his career numbers to 4-for-23 with four interceptions and no touchdowns, and is apparently ahead of Shane Morris on the depth chart. But eventually, Hoke brought Gardner back into the game. Where he got obliterated:

After Michigan kicked a field goal to go ahead, and Gardner was seen hyping his team on the sidelines:

There are two things at play here:

We’re watching a senior leader giving an incredible amount of heart. This is a guy playing for a team that’s become a punchline. He’s playing for a coach who seemingly 99.9 percent of the fans want fired, and, by the way, who benched him two weeks ago. We would not blame Devin Gardner for being blasé about whether he’s involved in Michigan winning or losing.

But he’s fighting through and through, giving his all despite an apparent injury. That’s incredible.

Less than a month ago, Brady Hoke got in the hottest water imaginable for reinserting a concussed Shane Morris into a game against Minnesota. For a good week, it seemed like any minute could lead to reports of Hoke’s firing. Being bad at coaching is bad, but Hoke seemed to display blatant disregard for the health of his athletes, and that’s worse.

A few weeks later, Hoke had a chance to make a stance on how important athlete health is to him. Instead, let Gardner back in the game.

Sure, they’re different situations -- Morris had a concussion, which is potentially life-altering, Gardner had a leg injury -- but watching a lame Gardner fail to avoid hits in the backfield was tough. It seemed like there was a pretty high chance of reinjury for Gardner, and Hoke didn’t seem to mind.