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Forum nameOkay Sports
Topic subjectChristine Michael, Texas A&M (5'10, 221)
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2096311&mesg_id=2130147
2130147, Christine Michael, Texas A&M (5'10, 221)
Posted by will_5198, Tue Feb-12-13 12:37 PM
He's been a legit prospect since he stepped on campus, but it's been a bizarre route getting to the draft. I remember watching him as a freshman in A&M's bowl game against Georgia -- only 19 years old, running over and around future NFL starters (Geno Atkins, Justin Houston, Akeem Dent, Reshad Jones).

That was the last and only time he finished a season. He broke his leg as a sophomore, tore his ACL as a junior, and was benched as a senior after clashing with Sumlin. The medical history alone is alarming, but combined with new character flags (suspended for the opener, then got on Twitter during the game and told Sumlin to "run the ball") and his risk level is at code red.

Watching him run, though, and you start to forget all of that. He's a compact guy who runs with quick, short steps and bursts through the line. He also makes hard cuts -- able to make defenders at all three levels miss -- and plays with good pad level. It's hard to get a clean shot on him. Against Arkansas, his junior year? That was a NFL running back.

If you add up all the strikes (he was also never the feature runner, splitting time as Cyrus Gray's back-up before his lost final season), he'll definitely go lower than his talent suggests. But I'm still a fan. He's probably the best candidate to "surprise" at his position, should he end up with the right team. Mid-rounds.