ATHENS, Ga. — Declaring an upcoming season a "comeback year" seems a little silly when a player put up 410 rushing yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman the season prior, while also running a kickoff back for a touchdown in the bowl game - despite being called back for a penalty.
For the University of Georgia's Sony Michel, however, 2015 is being viewed as a season to run wild without all the obstacles that haulted productivity in 2014. And it all begins with his shoulder pads.
Michel left the game vs. Tennessee last season with a fractured collar bone after a nasty collision with Volunteer defensive back Brian Randolph, and would subsequently sit out the next four games. Then just three practices into the Bulldog's spring, the exact same injury occured, knocking him out for the duration of the critical practice time.
Talking with media at the Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall in Athens on Wedneday, Michel brought up his newly fitted shoulder pads, and the lack of concern for any chronic issues related to his twice-injured shoulder.
"It was how my shoulder pads were fitted," Michel said. "My shoulder was too much exposed and now I got some new shoulder pads so I’ll be ready to go.”
The apparent euipment malfunction lead to a re-fitting prior to fall camp; a process Michel said only took about 30 minutes to find a more appropriate fit.
While fellow sophomore running back Nick Chubb is catching most of the attention and hype going into camp, alongside the news that junior Keith Marshall is as healthy as he's been since 2012 after sustaining a devastating knee injury in 2013, Michel also expects to be heavily in the mix once game plans are written.
“I haven’t really thought about that, me being a forgotten man," Michel said. "But it’s not really about me. I don’t really know about those guys, but we try and focus on the team, try and build leadership right now. That’s one of our big goals.”
Michel made heavy impact as a freshman with his special teams play in addition to his electric runs, emerging as a star on kick coverage. And while coaches and fans could possess legitimate concerns that tackling opposing players is putting an already vulnerable shoulder at risk, Michel wants to hear nothing of it. He wants to be on the field whenever possible.
“I’m going to work hard so that I can earn a spot on every special teams," Michel said. "Right now I am on the list, I’m on the depth chart. I am going to work my way up, and try and be a starter on every one of those phases.”
But don't expect him to be returning kicks unless star returner Isaiah McKenzie goes down. The only reason he returned kicks in the Belk Bowl was because McKenzie was suspended for an unspecified reason. And when asked who would win in a footrace between the two, Michel could only laugh and say "No doubt, Isaiah!"