Patriots Wire recently spoke with former UGA coach Mark Richt about Sony Michel and is struggles as the Patriots running back in 2019.
The USA Today’s Patriots Wire recently spoke with former Georgia football coach Mark Richt about former Bulldog Sony Michel and his struggles as the New England Patriots starting running back in 2019.
After a productive 2018 season with New England, Michel’s yards per carry dropped almost a yard to only 3.7 with 247 rushes in 2019, totaling 912 yards with seven touchdowns for the season.
Per Patriots Wire:
“Well, here’s the deal: where is Sony right now? He’s still with the Patriots,” former Georgia Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the Patriots Wire on Tuesday. “So that answers the question on whether you think he still could be the guy or not. So, they may need to block a little. They may need to let him hit the perimeter. He may have his issues too — I don’t know what he was dealing with health-wise. But if there’s space, he’ll get it and make the first guy miss and he’ll make yards after contact. He’s legit.”
The Patriots selected Michel 31st overall in the 2018 draft after four productive years at Georgia where he rushed his way to No. 3 on the Bulldogs’ all-time rushing yards list.
That makes it Hershel Walker, Nick Chubb and then Sony Michel. You won’t find better company than that.
The duo of Michel and Chubb – both recruited and signed by Richt – proved to be one of the most dynamic ever as they set the record for the most rushing yards by a pair of running back teammates in FBS history.
Richt said of Michel during that time:
“He wasn’t a huge ego guy that wanted to be the only guy. He understood the advantages of staying fresh and staying healthy throughout a game, throughout a season, throughout a career. We convinced him that, when you are on the field, what you put on tape is what’s going to decide where you get drafted and what kind of a pro career you’re going to have.”
Michel was set to compete for the starting spot this year with former Alabama running back, Patriots 2019 third-round pick Damien Harris and offseason pickup Lamar Miller.
After injuries have held Harris on IR for the next three weeks and kept Miller from making a roster spot, so it looks like it will be all Michel for at least the start of the 2020 season.
