Congratulations from Coach Conrad

[EricFreakingBerry]

Originally Posted by crunchimusmaximus

Ummm, care to elaborate on the horror stories? My interest is peaked.

Understandable and classy not to elaborate, but can't say mine isn't either. Sounds like a tale for Meat Market 2.

[utmba93]

Thanks, Coach!

Yours is one of the most meaningful posts I've ever read on VN.

Thank you for taking the time to post and for helping us get Michael in Orange!

[oldvolswimmer]

I was really excited about Michael's commit. Welcome aboard and its great to be a Tennessee Volunteer!! Thanks for sharing Coach.

[TennTradition]

I can't tell you how nice it is to hear such good things about Eddie Gran - we know he's a top notch coach AND recruiter, but you can't hear it enough, especially from someone in the trenches, so to speak. I can't wait to get Michael on the hill!

Are you a kicking/punting coach that works with Michael and others off the St. Thomas Aquinas staff...or are you a coach at STA?

[Neyland Law Vol]

Thanks for sharing Coach. We here at Volnation appreciate it. Good luck with your season.

[Hens67]

Coach...know of any 6'4 220lb QB's with rocket laser arms who want to be a vol?

[crusse10]

Thanks for your kind words, and my worries about his inexperience at in-game field goals is no more.

I do, however, want to know what happened with Meyer to get the situation you set up in one of the videos where he's kicking for the win in the Swamp...

[Oldblood]

Coach, first off, thanks for this final update and for posting during Michael's recruitment. From the videos/stats, it's obvious that he is a great kicker, but it's nice to hear he a solid person as well. The more hard-working kids we can get in our locker room the better, regardless of what position they play.

[Volman1970]

Hopefully we will be ahead about 20 points so we won't need a pressure kick. Welcome to Rocky Top our future all-american kicker

[ITSGR82BATNVOL]

Originally Posted by Coach Conrad

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Getting to spend time with the Palardy family and watch Michael commit was awesome. He could not have chosen a better program, or coaching staff, to play for. The episode of Kiffin not being able to talk to Michael to accept his commitment because he had an episode with his kids not eating their vegetables was priceless.

I have worked with Michael since he walked on campus at STA his freshman season. At the time we had Wes Byrum kicking there but Mike was one of those kids you knew would be special. By the beginning of his sohomore year Mike was up on varsity and the rest is history. The 60 yard fg in front of Coach Gran during spring football of his freshman year to get the Auburn offer was ironic - who knew that it would come full circle two years later with an offer, and commitment, to Coach Gran again.

You have to understand how difficult it is for a young kicker or punter to play at Aquinas - the school has produced more D-I kickers and punters than any high school in history - every starting kicker and punter the past 10 years has received a D-I offer. For Mike to start kicking there as a sophomore is pretty special.

Anyway, about Mike - simply the best kicker AND punter I have worked with - ever. I have had the fortune of working with some talented kickers and punters in America over the past ten years - guys like John Vaughn, Garrett Hartley, Pat McAfee, Brett Swenson, Kodi Bliss, Ryan Succop, PJ Fitzgerald and Wes Byrum, to name some you might recognize. Mike is stronger, more accurate, hits the ball further, and has better mechanics than any of those guys did.

You have to remember Aquinas scores almost every time they have the ball - there were not a bunch of fg opportunities for Mike because the offense could not be stopped last season. Mike missed three games because of a slight injury at the beginning of the year too. Aquinas also had the number 1 punter in the nation last season in Ben Turk, who signed with Notre Dame. Michael was so much better in practice but when you have two D-I guys, you play both. Nobody loses.

Mike has refined his punting to the point where 11 of his 15 offers were for punting this spring. He is a GREAT athlete, which is mandatory as a punter - superb hands, two stepper, gets rid of the ball quickly. He has great hang time, turns the ball over with ease, and can both directional punt and pooch. He is a left-footer, so that ball is going to be tailing away from the returners - tough to simulate in practice.

In the kicking department, Mike has been kicking from the 30 in practice off a college 1 inch tee for the past 6 months - he has the strongest KO leg I have ever seen - and his kicks are constantly in the 4.0's on hang time. On fg's we practice with an 8 foot wide goalpost and Mike has been kicking everything off the grass for the past 6 months - he will be strictly a grass kicker his senior year at Aquinas. He has hit from 72 years off the ground, with a snap and hold, at Aquinas during his sessions, but we spend the majority of our work hitting in the 25 - 45 yard range, which is what he will be facing the most in game situations.

Mike realizes he will have to compete when he gets to UT - he will be kicking against a kicker and punter who will be established, both entering their senior seasons. Michael will be prepared in all three aspects of the kicking game and he will fight for all three jobs as a freshman. He will do his best, and he will do whatever the coaching staff asks of him.

On a side note, I hope Tennessee fans realize how special a coach and recruiter you have in Eddie Gran. College football has evolved, unfortunately, into a business where a coach's words don't mean much anymore. Eddie's words do. Kids down here in Florida trust him. I could tell you some horror stories about your SEC brethren in their recruitment of Michael - but I will take the high road. I will say that Coach Gran is successful because he does things the RIGHT way - I think players respect that and feel comfortable playing for a man, and program, that they trust. I know Michael felt this way.

Anyways, congratulations on a GREAT pick - up! We will be following UT football closely this season. I hope Danny Lincoln and Chad Cunningham have great seasons, and the Vols have a memorable year!

Best of luck - I am excited about cheering on the Vols this season!!

Coach Conrad

I just recently posted in another thread, how i felt Coach Gran would prove to be the best recruiter / coach combination on our staff. Some people agreed with that statement, some didn't but i stick by it. Needless to say it's very refreshing to hear a HS coach confirm my thoughts. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and welcome to the board. I am so excited to have a GAME CHANGER like Michael on board and his coach as well. Best of luck to you and your team, coach. ITSGR82BATNVOL !!!!!!

[BrierVol61]

good read. it is good to see a HS coah who cares so much about his players.

[ChiTownVol]

Pure class. You're the man, Coach!

[VOLARMY]

We are very happy to get him . Thanks coach

[Capt Straight]

Thanks coach, it is great to know we have a kicker who is not a recovering alcoholic!

[checkerboards09]

Thanks Coach. Michael's gonna be awesome for us, no doubt in my mind.