Sony Michel

Sony Michel was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round (31st overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.

PRONOUNCED SO-nee mih-SHELL

CAREER TRANSACTIONS

Sony Michel was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round (31st overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.

SEASONAL REVIEWS

2020 (9/6)

• Started at running back in the season opening win vs. Miami (9/13) and registered 10 rushing attempts for 37 yards and one touchdown.
• Started at running back, picked up 19 yards on seven caries in a loss at Seattle (9/20).
• Broke the 100 yard mark for the fifth time in his career, amassing 117 yards on 9 carries that included a career long 48 yard run in the third quarter of Week 3's win vs. Las Vegas. Added 38 yard run, the second longest of his career. The only Patriot players who have rushed for at least 100 yards and averaged at least 13 yards per carry in a game are: Steve Grogan who ran for 103 yards on 7 carries on 10-18-76 ss. the NY Jets (14.7 yard average), Robert Weathers who ran for 100 yards on 6 carries on 09-04-83 vs. Baltimore (16.7 yard average) vs. the Las Vegas Raiders (9/27/20).
• Placed on IR before Week 4 at Kansas City (10/5).
• Was activated off IR prior to Week 11 at Houston (11/22). He was inactive for the game.
• Returned to action after missing three games while on IR and then being inactive upon his return to the 53-man roster at Houston. Played a limited role in Week 12 vs. Arizona (11/29).
• Had his first rushing attempts since returning from injured reserve in a Week 13 win at the Chargers (12/6). He finished the game with 10 rushing attempts for 35 yards. Also had a 23-yard catch and run from Jarrett Stidham in the fourth quarter. It was the longest reception of his career.
• Raked up 22 yards on 7 carries in a Week 14 loss at the Rams (12/10). Also saw time on special teams.
• Made his first start since the first three games of the season, finishing with 10 carries for 74 yards (7.4 avg.) as part of a Week 15 loss at Miami (12/20).
• Carried the ball 10 times for 69 yards in a Week 16 loss vs. Buffalo (12/28). His 29-yard run on the second play from scrimmage helped set up a 45 yard Nick Folk field goal on the Patriots opening drive.
• Recorded his first career TD reception on a 31 yard reception from Cam Newton in the fourth quarter of the Week 17 win vs. The Jets (1/3). He finished with three receptions for 60 yards, a new single game career high. His previous high was 32 receiving yards at Washington on Oct 6, 2019. Also compiled 76 yards on 16 rushing attempts.

2019 (16/14, 1/0)

• Played in all 16 regular-season games with 14 starts and accrued 912 yards rushing on 247 attempts (3.7 avg.) with a career-high seven touchdowns. Also caught 12 passes for 94 yards.
• Totaled 14 rushing attempts for 61 yards and caught two passes for 9 yards in the AFC Wild Card loss vs. Tennessee (1/4).
• Started and was the team's leading rusher with 21 carries for 83 yards and a 1-yard touchdown run in the victory at Miami (9/15).
• Finished with 19 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown, while also adding three receptions for 32 yards in the victory at Washington (10/6).
• Set a regular season career-high with three rushing touchdowns on 19 carries, picking up 42 rushing yards in the win at N.Y. Jets (10/21).
• Started and rushed 21 times for a season-high 96 yards with a long of 25 yards in the win vs. Buffalo (12/21).
• Started and carried 18 times for 74 yards and one touchdown in the loss vs. Miami (12/29). His touchdown run gave him seven on the season, setting a new career-high.

2018 (13/8, 3/2)

• Started eight of the 13 games he appeared in, missing three games due to injury, and finished his rookie campaign with 931 yards rushing on 209 carries with six touchdowns. Also added seven receptions for 50 yards and returned four kickoffs for 77 yards.
• Started two of three postseason contests and rushed for 336 yards on 71 carries, adding six rushing touchdowns, including the lone score on a 2-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to give the Patriots the lead in the Super Bowl LIII victory vs. the Los Angeles Rams (2/3). His six postseason rushing touchdowns set an NFL record for the most rushing touchdowns by a rookie in a single postseason and is second to Terrell Davis (8) for the most rushing touchdowns overall in a single postseason.
• Eclipsed 100 yards rushing four times in the regular season:
• Week 4 vs. Miami (112)
• Week 6 vs. Kansas City (106)
• Week 12 at N.Y. Jets (133)
• Week 16 vs. Buffalo (116)
• Eclipsed 100 yards rushing twice in the postseason and finished with 94 yards in the Super Bowl LIII victory vs. the Los Angeles Rams (2/3).
• AFC Divisional Playoff vs. L.A. Chargers (129)
• AFC Championship at Kansas City (113)
• Made his NFL debut and rushed 10 times for 34 yards while also adding a 7-yard reception on his first offensive play in the first quarter of the game at Jacksonville (9/16).
• Started and rushed 25 times for a game-high 112 yards, including his first career touchdown on a 10-yard scamper in the fourth quarter of the victory vs. Miami (9/30). Became the first Patriots rookie to rush for 100 yards since Brandon Bolden rushed for 137 yards at Buffalo on Sept. 20, 2012.
• Rushed 24 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns, marking his first career two-touchdown performance in the victory vs. Kansas City (10/14). It was his third-straight game of 90-plus yards rushing, becoming just the fifth running back in Patriots history and first since Robert Edwards in 1998 to have three or more 90-yard games in his rookie season.
• Started and rushed 21 times for a career-high 133 yards and a touchdown, while adding two receptions for 12 yards in the victory at the New York Jets (11/25).
• Rushed 24 times for 129 yards with three rushing touchdowns in the AFC Divisional Playoff win vs. L.A. Chargers (1/13). Became just the second rookie running back in Patriots history to score a postseason touchdown, and also had a career-long 40-yard run in the second quarter and added one reception for nine yards.
• Started and was a key factor on offense, rushing 29 times for 113 yards with two touchdowns in the AFC Championship victory at Kansas City (1/20).
• Started and rushed 18 times for 94 yards and scored the game's lone touchdown on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter that was ultimately the difference in the game in the Super Bowl LIII victory vs. the Los Angeles Rams (2/3).

COLLEGE

• Finished his career third on UGA's all-time rushing list with 3,638 yards, having passed both Garrison Hearst and Todd Gurley.
• Ranks 16th among all-time rushers in SEC history.
• Notched eleven 100-yard games in his career.
• Finished his career with 33 rushing touchdowns.
• Named a team captain for his junior and senior seasons.
• Finished as the Bulldogs' second-leading rusher with 1,227 yards on just 156 carries as a senior in 2017.
• Named Offensive MVP of the Rose Bowl with four touchdowns, tying a Bulldog bowl record for points scored and touchdowns. On his 75-yard rushing touchdown, Michel set a new Georgia bowl record for longest rushing touchdown and eclipsed 1,000 yards on a season for the second time. Also scored the game-winning touchdown in double overtime, setting a new career-high of 181 yards on just 11 carries.
• Played in 12 games as a junior, making two starts, and finished as the team's No. 2 rusher with 840 yards on 152 carries (5.5 avg.). Was also the Bulldogs fourth-leading receiver with 20 catches and 110 yards.
• Played in 13 games with six starts and was voted team's offensive MVP as a sophomore. Ran for 1,161 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 219 attempts; 13th time a Bulldog rushed for 1,000 yards in a season. Also tallied 26 receptions for 270 yards and three scores.
• Played in eight games as a freshman, making one start and posted 410 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on 64 carries.

PERSONAL

• Was a 2013 American Family Insurance USA Today All-USA First Team and All-USA Florida Team. Also named USA Today Florida Football Player of the Year and a member of Florida's Class 5A All-State First Team.
• Majored in communication studies at Georgia.
• Played in the U.S. Army All-American Game.
• Rushed for 1,833 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior.

EXTRA POINTS

Sony Michel and Isaiah Wynn are the first college teammates picked in the first round in New England history. They are the first college teammates to be picked in the first round by the same team since 2005 when CB Carlos Rogers (9th overall) and QB Jason Campbell (25th overall) out of Auburn were drafted by Washington.