On Wednesday, August 25th, 2021 the Los Angeles Rams completed a trade transaction with the New England Patriots. Through this trade the Los Angeles Rams acquired the star veteran running back and Super Bowl LIII champion Sony Michel from the New England Patriots. The New England Patriots received the Los Angeles Rams 6th – round selection during the 2022 NFL Draft as well as the Los Angeles Rams 4th – round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.1
This was a tremendously huge pick up for the Los Angeles Rams. Once the Los Angeles Rams lost their starting running back in Cam Akers for the entire 2021 – 2022 season of the National Football League due to a torn right Achilles tendon injury that Akers recently suffered while working out in training camp earlier this year.
The Los Angeles Rams attempted to fill the void of losing their most productive running back in Akers by giving Darrell Henderson Jr., Xavier Jones, and the rookie running back who was just selected by the Los Angeles Rams with the 7th – round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in Jake Funk all a chance to compete for the starting running back position on their team, but obviously the Los Angeles Rams felt that they needed to bring in outside help with the acquisition of Michel.
The New England Patriots had a surplus of solid running backs so they decided to send Sony to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a couple of future draft selections that should help the New England Patriots in their current rebuilding phase ever since they lost their superstar quarterback in Tom Brady to the free agency market of the National Football League a couple of years ago.
The Football Background of Sony Michel
On February 17th, 1995 Sony Michel was born in Orlando, Florida. Michel ended up attending high school at the American Heritage School located in Plantation, Florida. After completely dominating the high school football landscape Sony decided to enroll at the University of Georgia Bulldogs’ highly esteemed and respected NCAA college football program.
Throughout Michel’s 4 – year college football experience all with the Georgia Bulldogs, Sony raced up a total of 3,613 rushing yards on 590 rushing attempts. He averaged a whomping 6.1 yards per carry while rushing for 33 touchdowns and his longest carry measured 75 yards. Also, during his college football career Michel tore it up on the gridiron as a receiver out the backfield as Sony grabbed 64 passes totaling 621 receiving yards. He averaged 9.7 yards per receptions in addition to his 6 receiving touchdowns, and his longest reception in college totaled 48 yards.
With the 31st overall pick in the first – round of the 2018 NFL Draft the New England Patriots selected Sony Michel out of the University of Georgia. Throughout the 3 years of Sony’s career in the National Football League Michel has a total of 2,292 rushing yards, a rushing average of 4.3 yards per carry, 14 rushing touchdowns, 26 receptions, 258 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown.
Sony Michel’s Football Career Achievements, Honors, and Awards
During the short football career of Sony Michel between his time playing high school football, NCAA college football at the University of Georgia with the Bulldogs, as well as his time playing in the National Football League with the New England Patriots Sony has a couple of great accolades. Michel’s football career achievements, honors, and awards include becoming a Super Bowl LIII champion on February 3rd, 2019 after the New England Patriots defeated his new team in the Los Angeles Rams with a final score of 13 to 3 from the Mercedes – Benz Stadium located in Atlanta Georgia. Sony was also named as a USA Today High School All – American way back in 2013.
Media Statements
“We identified Sony for many reasons,” the Los Angeles Rams general manager, Les Snead, stated to the sports media world on Wednesday, August 25th, 2021. “Number one, being his experience, and experience meaning like a player who has carried the ball in big games and in those big games, where there have been big moments, big drives, big series. What he does bring is this element of make a cut, get north and south and get north and south with some force. The physics that he brings to the table — let’s call it a flavor or genre that we felt like complemented our group.”
“We got a little bit of time,” the Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay explained. “Darrell is a guy that’s been established and done some good things. But I was pleased with both those guys.”
“I’ve always liked him as a runner, but now he’s shown to us that he can also play in the passing game and be very effective,” the New England Patriots’ running backs coach Ivan Fears expressed. “He’s had an awfully good camp.“
Last week when the New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was asked about his running back situation he said, “They have all gotten opportunities and shown positively. Competition brings out the best in all of us. It’s a great situation.”