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Lance McCurley/File Photo
Last weekend, former Georgia running back Sony Michel (2014-2017) announced his retirement from the NFL after just five seasons—but he steps away from football with a pair of Super Bowl rings adorning his sizable fingers.
According to Rams head coach Sean McVay, Michel informed him of his plans to retire this past Saturday morning. The news comes less than two months after Michel re-signed with the team.
I’ve enjoyed watching Sony Michel since my second year of college when he first stepped onto the field for the University of Georgia against Clemson at Sanford Stadium. Michel provided the Georgia faithful with reason to be proud. He accomplished a lot in his career.
Michel brought a lot of happiness to Dawg Nation and to fans of the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. The Florida native was an electric running back who could burst through any open hole provided by opposing defenses. He also could juke any defender in his path en route to the end zone.
Michel’s parents emigrated from Haiti a year after his sister was born. He grew up in Plantation, Fla., and played football at American Heritage High School, where he was a four-star running back.
In his senior high school season, Michel rushed for 1,833 yards and 24 touchdowns. Over three years playing on the varsity squad, he rushed for 4,758 yards and 63 touchdowns. He committed to UGA on April 13, 2013.
As a freshman in 2014, Michel played in eight games and made one start. He was paired with five-star running back Nick Chubb, who previously starred for Cedartown (Ga.) High School.
Michel missed five games due to a fractured shoulder in 2014 but still rushed for 410 yards and five scores. A year later, he entered the season as a backup to Chubb but eventually took over as a starter when Chubb suffered a season-ending injury against Tennessee.
Michel ended up rushing for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore while averaging a team-high 8.8 yards per carry.
When head coach Mark Richt was fired after the 2015 season, Michel returned to play for new head coach Kirby Smart.
Chubb was back healthy in 2016, but Michel still shined on the field.
It was great to see Georgia’s “Thunder and Lightning” – as UGA radio play-by-play announcer Scott Howard called them – back together again. Michel rushed for 840 yards and four scores as a junior.
Michel and Chubb easily could have ended their college careers and entered the NFL draft at that season’s end, but neither took that route.
The duo decided instead to return to Georgia for one final year under Smart, and man, it was great.
Thunder (Chubb) and Lightning (Michel) led the Bulldogs to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, UGA’s first Rose Bowl since 1943, and the team’s first national championship game since 1983.
Although the results weren’t quite what Georgia fans wanted (not going to talk about it), it helped set up the future, which turned out to be back-to-back national championship wins the past two years.
Both Michel (1,227 yards and 16 TDs) and Chubb (1,345 yards and 15 TDs) enjoyed phenomenal 2017 seasons, leading to Michel being a 2018 first-round draft pick by the Patriots and Chubb going early in the second round to the Cleveland Browns.
At UGA, the two were instrumental in helping build a culture of toughness under Smart. They also joined a history of great former Georgia running backs that went on to the NFL.
Specifically, Michel gave me the most joy out of the two. I love Chubb, but Michel provided me with great memories as he took a direct snap against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl during overtime into the end zone. That touchdown sealed the deal for the Bulldogs as they were off to the title game.
That’s just something I will never forget. And even in the NFL, despite having a short, injury-prone career, Michel represented UGA well.
He was the only player to score a touchdown in Super Bowl LIII as the Patriots narrowly defeated the Rams 13-3, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
A few years later, Michel signed with the Rams and paired with former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford to defeat Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20, in Super Bowl LVI.
The news of Michel deciding to retire is sad, but he’s had a great run (no pun intended). He helped set up a culture at UGA that has carried on to 2023.
Michel is also pretty cool off the field, too.
I was in college at the same time as him, and we met several times around Athens. He’s a great guy and a fantastic representation of the University of Georgia, making him the definition of a Damn Good Dawg.