He was also a Finalist for the Shelby Metro Offensive Player of the Year.
That is some pretty lofty company when you consider that the other Finalist were
MSU signee Anthony Summers, Ole Miss signee Markeith Summers, Miami signee Graig Cooper,
and junior phenom Aaron Crawford out of Ridgeway.
That is not where the
story ends.
Michael's brother, Rob Park, was the QB at MUS the prior year
and led them to their first State Championship in 19 years. Hard to follow that
up little brother, right?
"Really, I wanted to prove that I am pretty
good too," added the excited Michael Park. "I mean, we had a great season.
Two years ago when my brother was the QB they won the state championship. We lost
a lot of guys on offense, and a lot of people did not think we would be that good.
We proved a lot of doubters wrong. That was the most gratifying part of the whole
thing. Proving we had some talent too."
Michael passed for over 1,900
yards, 16 TD's and 6 int's on the season. He also rushed for another 9 TD's. What
does he do well on the field?
"I think I am smart, and I have an accurate
arm. I can also run when I need to."
What areas would Michael like
to see some improvement?
"Mostly physical stuff, like agility, speed,
and obviously strength. I bench around 250 right now, so I need to get a lot stronger.
But mainly, I want to study as much film as I can."
Park was selected
to participate in the prestigious Army All-American combine that was held in San
Antonio in January. This gave him a chance to see how well he stacked up against
the nation's best.
"It was great. Obviously, some of the best QB's
were there. I compared myself to them. It was good to see where I stood. I felt
good about it."
Colleges from across the country have taken notice
as Alabama, MSU, Ole Miss, Vandy, Ohio State, Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas, Auburn,
LSU, Indiana, and A&M are actively recruiting the young man.
Junior
Day is a day where the colleges ask their top rising senior prospects to come
in for the day to take a tour of their campus. It is also a way for the staff
and prospect to really get that one on one time so you can hopefully make that
much needed early impression. Has Michael been invited to attend any Jr Days?
"Yes
sir, Auburn, Alabama, MSU, Ole Miss, Vandy, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma have all
asked me to come."
Which Jr Days will Michael attend?
"I
am doing baseball pretty hard. I am trying to get to Ole Miss on Saturday. I missed
Texas A&M because of a baseball game. I am going to try and get out of my
game on Saturday (interview was conducted on Thursday). I will have to take each
Jr Day one case at a time. It all depends if I can get out of my baseball games
or not."
Speaking of baseball, look at these accomplishments
Michael has achieved in his baseball career:
3/24/2005- Rated
Shelby Metro's 3rd top Sophomore(by Commercial Appeal)
Selected to Division
2(Large) All-Conference Team
Selected to Commercial Appeal "Best of the
Preps"
Selected to Commercial Appeal Private Schools All Metro Team
Selected
to the Region 7 & 8 TBCA 18Under Showcase Team at Middle Tenn. State
University
in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Selected to the 2005 TBCA Junior Sunbelt Team Tennessee
as a Pitcher
Selected to the 2005 Super Sophomore Team by Tennessee Baseball
Report
Selected to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association 2005 Division ll
All-State Team
Named by the Dulins Dodgers as "one of the Top Players
in the Nation in the 2007
Class". "A Right Handed pitcher that commands
a plus fastball and excellent command of three pitches
As with most kids,
which ever sport is in season, is the sport of choice at the present time. Michael
is no different.
"I like them equally well. I really would like to
play both on the next level."
Michael's brother is the starting punter
for the Ole Miss Rebels. Does that give them a leg up on the competition?
"No,
I am going in this with an open mind. If it is the right fit for me, fine, but
if I like someone else better, then that is where I will go. But, I like Ole Miss
a lot. I think their recruiting is amazing after having a 3-8 season. They had
a Top 15 class last year, and they already have 8 commitments this year. I keep
up with their recruiting pretty closely and it is very impressive. I also think
their facilities are great, and I like the direction that staff has them going
in."
Who else will be the main players when it comes decision time?
"Probably
the SEC schools in this area. Auburn, Alabama, Vandy, MSU, and LSU."
What
stands out about each school?
Auburn
- "I like Coach Tub. I think he is a good coach. I went down there to see
my brother play when they played Auburn, and liked their stadium. They obviously
have a great football program and team."
Alabama
- "I love their school. A lot of my brother's friends went there.
They have a real good atmosphere, and I like that Brodie was successful under
their system. They also have a great team."
Tennessee
- "They really have not sent me any letters. I would love to get a chance
to talk to their coaches about some things."
Vandy
- "I like their academic reputation. That is a big plus. Jay Cutler really
impressed me too. They have some good players coming into their program too. They
also have great coaches. I just think they are on the rise. You add that with
their academic reputation, and that is going to be hard to turn down. Coach Belin
and I talk a lot on the phone. He is a great guy."
MSU
- "I have never been down there. I would like to go down there and look at
their facilities. They have been sending me a bunch of letters. Coach Croom wrote
one about me becoming a man. The letter was very impressive. I am going to be
interested in how they recruit me next year. I am very interested in MSU."
When
decision time does roll around; what will be the main factors?
"The
coaches will be a big factor. I also like for the fans to be in it. The social
life will be important. Would I want to go to school there if I were not even
playing sports? That is how I am going to look at it."
Michael
carries a 3.0 GPA.
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