Sony Michel retiring from the National Football League

Former Georgia star running back Sony Michel has retired from the National Football League, his head coach Sean McVay told NFL Network on Saturday night. According to reports, McVay had a conversation with Michel on Saturday morning and that’s when he broke the news to his head coach that he was hanging up his cleats. His pro career was unfortunately shortened due to injuries, a scene that is all too familiar for the running back position in the National Football League, due to the extensive volume of hits and punishment they take.

He finished five years in the NFL, wrapping up his impressive career with 3,243 total yards and 18 total touchdowns. Michel had three seasons of over 800 rushing yards or more and he also wrapped up his career with two Super Bowl rings. He became the first player since Terrell Davis with more than four rushing touchdowns in one postseason. In 2018, his rookie year with the New England Patriots, Michel scored six touchdowns in three postseason games.

The LA Rams brought Michel back last month following minicamp, but he won’t be suiting up for them this fall. He was originally a first-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Patriots.

During his college football career with the Georgia Bulldogs, Sony Michel teamed up with Nick Chubb to form one of the most dominant running back tandems in college football history. Their most memorable performance together came against Oklahoma in the 2018 Rose Bowl, when they combined for 326 total rushing yards. Michel only carried the rock 11 times in that game, but he ran for 181 yards and three touchdowns, including the 27-yard game-winning touchdown from the Wildcat formation. He also added four catches for 41 yards and a fourth touchdown. Following the game, Michel was named the Rose Bowl Offensive MVP.

Chubb and Michel shattered the combined career rushing yardage record set by Craig James and Eric Dickerson of SMU (8,192 total yards).

During his four-year career with the Bulldogs, Michel rushed for over 1,000 yards twice (2015 and 2017). He finished his prolific career there with 3,631 total rushing yards and 33 total touchdowns. He currently ranks third in Bulldog football history in all-time rushing yardage. The Florida native also hauled in 64 catches for 621 receiving yards and six total touchdowns during his spectacular career there.

One of the most highly touted running backs in the country coming out of high school, Michel was rated as a five-star prospect, according to the On3 Consensus Rankings for the 2014 cycle. He played his high school for American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, Florida), one of the most prestigious football programs in the country.