Sept. 6, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - "In my 14 years at Western Kentucky, he is one of the outstanding leaders we have had here," Topper head coach Jack Harbaugh says. "Last season he was voted captain even though he was the third quarterback - I think that speaks volumes."
"His leadership abilities are very important because his teammates listen when he speaks," adds Willie Taggart, WKU's co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. "You need that mentality at quarterback as a coach on the field, and the team needs to hear from another player because sometimes what coaches say become routine.
"It's something we haven't had recently."
If these sound like endorsements for admission into the United States Military Academy, well, they could be. Because that's where Jason Michael was before coming to the Hill in the spring semester of 1999. But a love of football pulled the Louisa, Ky., native back to the Bluegrass State in an effort to follow his dream of playing quarterback on the collegiate level.
Even Michael acknowledges the importance of his leadership qualities as he enters his senior season as Western's starting signal caller. "Being the quarterback is not just being the leader of the offense, but it is an extra coach on the field for any team," he says. "I lead by example, which is how I have always done it. I've tried to earn respect by being here and on time every day, by trying to do the right thing academically, socially and in any activities I take part in."
Michael was named the Hilltoppers' starter entering spring practice and hasn't relinquished the position since. It is not unfamiliar territory for the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder, who appeared in all 11 games in '99 with seven starts due to Donte Pimpleton's injury problems. But, despite throwing for 565 yards and running for another 384 - accounting for nine touchdowns in the process - when pressed into duty, the Hilltopper coaching staff recruited junior-college transfer Jason Johnson to run the show the last two years.
That left Michael participating on special teams units during that time, where he recorded 11 tackles while also recovering a fumbled punt in a win at Tennessee State in October 2000. It also left him with a desire to win back the job before his career came to a close.
"I knew my time would come, that I would have a year to step in," he says. "Once last season was over it was my turn, and I was going to do whatever I needed to keep the job.
"It's odd to have a two-year gap between starting, but lots of guys have little or no experience when they finally get a chance to start. You never forget the experience you gained in game situations."
According to Harbaugh and Taggart, Michael's task this year isn't a difficult one. "Jason just needs to keep things in the scope of our new offense and what he is capable of doing," says Harbaugh. "I think he's comfortable with that, which will allow his supporting cast to play to their level. We're looking for a team effort in which he is an integral part."
"He's not going to do some of the things that Jason (Johnson), Donte or myself were able to do - he simply has a different style of play," Taggart adds. "We expect to take advantage of Jason's arm in throwing more often, and we think he's a smart player who can get the offense in situations where we can succeed."
It was Michael's love of the sport that eventually led him to his current position, though he thought he could balance football with academics when first choosing to attend Army in 1998. Michael - who carries a 3.82 grade-point average in the classroom (in civil engineering technology, no less) - was the valedictorian at Lawrence County High School as well as its starting quarterback. After a career in which he was named all-area three times and was twice selected the team's Most Valuable Player, he chose to concentrate on academics when selecting a school.
"I cared about football, but education was first on my list at the time," he says. "The academics at the academies are as good as any school in the country, including anywhere in the Ivy League. There wasn't really a military background in my family, but not many people get a chance to go. Once I was there, though, I realized I went for the wrong reasons."
That left Michael searching for a new school, and he didn't look far from home. Despite the fact that both his parents attended Eastern Kentucky, he remembered that Harbaugh and his staff had recruited him to play quarterback out of high school. "I had limited myself in recruiting the first time because I said if I got into one of the academies I would go there," he recalls.
Michael's love of football, which led him to Western, can be traced long before attending Lawrence County High. Prior to his high-school career, Michael's father served as coach of the Bulldogs, with Jason roaming the sidelines from the time he could walk. Though he played both baseball and football growing up, Michael fell for football in part because of Louisa's love affair for the sport.
"In Lawrence County, football is everything," he says. "Someone could have robbed the town blind on Friday night because everyone was at the game. Growing up in that atmosphere, seeing the love of the game and the interest from the community, I think it had a lot do with the decision to concentrate on football."
With graduation coming up at the end of the academic year, Michael already has engineering experience working both for one of his professors the last couple of summers as well as assisting the Alliance Corporation as they worked on renovating E.A. Diddle Arena and laying the new Astroplay surface at L.T. Smith Stadium this offseason. But that love of football keeps tugging at him, as he may stay involved with the sport while attending graduate school next fall.
"I have an opportunity to work as a graduate assistant coach," says Michael. "It would help pay for school and also let me hang on for a few more years."
Adds Harbaugh, "I would support Jason in anything he chooses to do. But I have such a love for this game and this profession - we need all the Jason Michaels we can get to support it. I'm all for him joining the ranks, and would certainly be very proud if he at least chose to give it a look."
But that's down the road for Michael and the Hilltoppers, who have 10 games left this season - beginning with today's 5:30 p.m. (CDT) kickoff against Kentucky State - in an effort to earn Western's third consecutive postseason appearance, a feat never before achieved in school history. He'll look to build on a performance at Kansas State in last week's season opener in which he posted career highs with seven completions and 11 pass attempts.
"If you took a poll in the locker room, you would find that Jason is one of the more popular players," Harbaugh says. "You can count on him in any phase of a relationship. Sometimes a good athlete can be hard to be around because he will carry himself with an air of arrogance, but Jason happens to be a good student who is a good football player who is a good friend.
"You can't have a better combination than that."
The United State Military Academy may not have been the right fit, but the WKU football team will sure be happy to follow Michael's lead this fall.
- WKU -
