NC State Linebacker Ray Michel might have surprised some people last year. Prior to last season Michel had only started one game in his two-year career. Last season was a different story for Ray, starting all 13 games for the Wolfpack. Michel led NC State with 102 tackles last year and led the team in tackles in 5 contests, which was also a team high. While Michel might have caught a few off guard, quite a few saw this coming years ago. After watching Ray develop during his redshirt Freshmen season, when asked after the Meineke Car Care Bowl victory over South Florida in '06 what could be expected from Michel, former NC State coach Chuck Amato responded with a bold prediction."Ray Michel is going to be a leader of this football team," Amato said. "He is a big Levar (Fisher). His motor doesn't stop. He is really an intense individual."
After the bowl game former NC State standout Stephen Tulloch projected that Michel was "the next big thing at linebacker."
In fact, it seems that Tulloch left a lasting impression on Michel. Last week when we asked him what his goals were for this season he responded with an attitude that could have been cloned from Tulloch himself. "Every year Coach Archer makes us come up with a goal sheet," Michel said. "Every year my goal is to establish myself as one of the best linebackers to ever come out of NC State." When asked which linebacker he admired the most in NC State history he responded quickly with the name Stephen Tulloch.
"I still keep in contact with him on the Internet," Michel said. "He's always giving me positive advice about life on and off the field."
Michel is a Redshirt Senior this year and the obvious leader of the linebacker corps. Last week we watched him at the opening practice and he exuded leadership. In all of the linebacker drills Ray was in the front of the line leading by example. On numerous occasions he also led with his voice as well, instructing the younger players on proper technique and pushing them to go as hard as they could.
"I try to tell the guys to come in a little early, get together and watch film, go over the plays that we did the day before and the plays we are going to do that day," Michel said.
Michel stated that he has been working hard on his coverage this off-season. "My main thing has been working on my coverage," Michel said. "I don't think I was a very good cover guy, so that is what I focused on this off-season.
The player who was once received the "Head Hunter" award for leading his county in tackles as a Senior in high school, is optimistic about this team's possibilities.
"Last year we still had a couple of guys who that weren't on the same page," Michel said. "Right now we've got a group of guys who want to work and really want to succeed."
The linebacker corps is in good hands with Michel. He has worked extremely hard to get where he is. Levar Fisher was one of the greatest linebackers to ever play at NC State and he donned the #44. I think that Levar would be proud of how Ray has carried on the tradition of the prestigious number.
August 10th, 2009.
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3 Responses to "Ray Michel: "I Want To Be One Of The Best""good article. Im excited to see what this kid can do.
It's hard to quantify the leadership and experience factor guys like Michel, Young, Cash and Morgan will bring. With Nate out indefinitely Ray will have to shoulder the load of keeping the young and very talented LB corps focused and mentally tough.
One football analyst once made a great observation that in College football a Team must have atleast one big playmaker at each level- ie DL, LB and secondary. If just one of the three areas have no big playmakers- either by lack of experience or talent, then competent Offenses will eventually light you up. Its not like the pro's were where one unit can be so dominant that they can dictate the majority of the game - AKA NY Giants front 7.
Until the young guys, Cole, Lucas, Maddux and Manning, prove they can consistently make the reads, thus let their natural talents takeover, the pressure is on Michel to be the play maker. For us to get off to a hot start my guess is that Ray will have to play like one of the all-time Wolfpack greats- atleast until the underclassman take their lumps and adapt to the grind.
Being a positive role model and leader to the young up-n-comers is something we can be sure about with Ray. He is a guy who plays his heart out every chance he gets. If anyone can remember the embarrassing whooping we received from the USF team last year- Ray was like a mad man in that one and had he not been in there the score could have been drastically worse.
Couldn't have said it better myself Jose!
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