:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68935614/usa_today_15450657.0.jpg)
If you haven’t heard of Michael Strachan, you should probably Google him.
The 6-foot-5, 225 pound monster receiver out of Charleston College is rising up draft boards because of his speed and ridiculous catch radius, which he’ll soon showcase at his Pro Day and the NFL Combine.
After shredding through record books as a Golden Eagle, he’s looking for an opportunity to do the same in the league. The redshirt junior ended his college career with two 1,000-yard seasons and broke all sorts of records — touchdowns in a season (19), receptions in a season (78), yards in a game (207) and many more.
To get a better idea of what the stud prospect is about, Canal St. Chronicles caught up with him for an interview. Big shoutout to Mike for taking the time to speak with us.
Andrew Bell: I know you’re getting ready for your pro day. So, what has your pre-draft process been like, and what are some of the things you’re preparing for?
Michael Strachan: “Well, for the pro day, right now we’re training for a specific goal. And that’s the combine coming up. So you know, getting better as far as speed, position specifics and just staying sharp all around.
That’s what we’re training for, and it’s going pretty good. I’m excited about it. I feel like I’m going to put up good numbers.”
AB: So you’ve had visits with the Chargers, Jaguars and Panthers. What has it been like talking to those teams and how surreal is it to get so much attention and recognition from these NFL teams?
MS: “For me, it really feels like I’m starting to see my dreams come true. I’m starting to see my career form right in front of my eyes. It’s all a great process, and I love going through it.
I take such a serious approach to it because this is my life, and this is how it’s going to be for me now. So, I take it serious, and I know the best will come out of it.”
AB: You’ve set records for touchdowns, receptions and yards in a game at Charleston and probably more that I can’t remember. So you were obviously a good player in college. What do you feel like are your strengths as a receiver and what are some things you think you need to improve upon?
MS: “Besides the speed, the route running and you know, the athletic ability, I feel like my strengths overall are just my knowledge of the game and my level of competing. I love competition. I love to go out and compete against the best athletes.
That’s something that my teammates and my coaches, we all work together to achieve one goal. That’s a special thing for me and that’s what motivates me every day — just coming in and being able to perform well and make big plays for my team.”
AB: You probably get labeled as a red zone receiver a lot, with you being so tall and snagging on people in your highlights. But do you feel like your game goes past that?
MS: ”My game goes way past that. Coming from a smaller school, everybody looks at me as just, ‘He’s big, so he’s only a red zone receiver.” So, I struggle with that, and my process to getting to where I’m going to be at in a few months is going to be so much harder than all the other athletes. Simply because of where I’m coming from. You know, I’m from the Bahamas. Nobody really knows me. I had a low level of exposure in college. And so that all comes into play coming from a small school like that.”
AB: Small school players always get knocked for not playing against high-level competition coming out. Does that contribute to your motivation to kind of prove those people wrong?
MS: “Definitely. Each day I wake up, I just want to prove those people wrong. I feel like I’m good enough to go up against anybody, and I’m ready for the next level. I feel like I’m the best in the draft class, and that won’t change. I’m consistent with that. That’s just in my heart.”
AB: Are there any pro receivers you model your game after?
MS: “I love to study Calvin Johnson. Him and I have sort of a similar physique. Our play style is the same. You watch his film coming out of college, you watch mine, and you literally see the same person. So, that excites me when I study his game and what he did throughout his career in the NFL. That’s a person who I look up to a lot.”
AB: Are there any specific scheme or team fits that are kind of intriguing to you?
MS: “I could fit into anybody’s system, you know. Whatever team picks me would be able to use me in a way that they want to use me, and I’ll be ready for it. I’m ready for any challenge. I’m coachable, so it’s not going to take me a long time to get familiar and adjusted to the system.”
AB: I saw a mock draft somewhere that had you projected to go in like the 4th round to go to the Saints. What have you seen from the Saints organization, and what would you think of that fit?
MS: “They are a great organization. Throughout their whole career, they’ve just been a winning program. With them, I would just be another weapon for them. I could help them go to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl. The more weapons you have on a team, the better it is for that team.
When I look at the receivers they have, they have Michael Thomas. He’s their big receiver there, and I study his game too. He’s a pretty good receiver. He has great hands. He runs great routes and put up some great numbers. And with him and I being on the same team, that would just be phenomenal.”
AB: Has anybody talked to you about what area of the draft they expect you to go in, or do you have any idea as far as that?”
MS: “Right now, most people are talking late rounds. But I plan to make sure that shoots up. I feel like high round type of player. It’s just hard to express that with the low level of exposure. But the more people get to know me, they’ll be able to see my abilities and what I can do. And it can compare to anybody.
My level of confidence is just out the roof. In my heart, I know nobody’s better than me, you know. So, I’m going to keep that going.”
AB: I love it. And is that something that you’re looking forward to getting to the combine to be able to go toe to toe with some of these bigger school players to prove that you’re just as good as them?
MS: “Oh, yes. Definitely. Like I said earlier, I love competition. The higher level of competition, the better I perform. And I proved that in some of the big games we’ve played in. We’ve played some big games in my college career. And in each big game, that’s where I’ve played my best.”
AB: What is your motto or philosophy when you go out on the field?
MS: “I always trust in God. God first. I can’t do nothing without him. So you know, I always say my prayer before I do any athletic function or game. That’s basically my motivation. I’m doing it for him, and I’m doing it for my family, friends and teammates.”
AB: So what are some of your hobbies? Video games? What do you do in your free time?
MS: “I’m an instrumental type of guy. I love instruments. I love cars. Whenever I get a chance to go to the instrument shop or see a few cars, that’s what I like to do. I also love hanging out with friends and going out to restaurants. I’m a big eater. I love to eat, and going to different restaurants in whatever area I’m at. And just hanging out.”
AB: What instruments do you play?
MS: “I’m a drummer.”
AB: Same here! I was in like a practice band in junior high. Wasn’t ever very good, but I had fun with it.
MS: ”Yeah, sometime it’s just fun to go bang on something, you know.”
AB: So in conclusion: If you were selling yourself to a team on why they should draft you or take a chance in you, what would be your message to them?
MS: “Well, I’m a person who’s always added value wherever I went — from high school to college. If you get me, you’re getting a productive player. I’m going to be consistent throughout my career. And you’re going to get somebody who’s going to come in and uplift the guys around me. So, I’m going to bring out the full potential in every guy that’s around me.
You’re going to get a hard worker, for sure. I’m going to have a great attitude. I’m going to be coachable. And that’s one thing that’s pretty underrated. A lot of the guys come in, and they think they know it all. But I always feel like there’s always room for improvement. And that’s what give me the edge against most of my competition. I’m always willing to improve, you know. Those few attributes are what a team should draft me for.”
Big thank-you to Mike for taking the time to speak with us. You can follow him on Twitter @Mike_Playmaker. Make sure you follow Canal Street Chronicles on Twitter at @SaintsCSC, “Like” us on Facebook at Canal Street Chronicles, follow us on Instagram at @SaintsCSC and make sure you’re subscribed to our new YouTube channel. As always, you can follow me on Twitter @AndrewBell_98.