MMQB: Interview with Sony Michel

MONDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT
It’s the playoffs—and for the first time since the ’80s, we have a game on Monday, so that means we’re getting one last edition of the Monday Night Spotlight. To get you ready for the Rams-Cardinals MNF capper to wild-card weekend, we got Rams RB Sony Michel on the phone.

MMQB: So you started the season a Patriot and will finish it a Ram; how weird has this year been?

SM: It’s been a lot. It’s been a process. And this is, I guess you would say, this is the kind of situation you prepare for, unknowingly. And as long as you’re prepared, you would always be ready for whatever’s coming at you.

MMQB: What made you ready for being traded right before the season, then?

SM: I would just say me just sticking to who I am as a person, relying on my offseason training, which leads to confidence. Me starting off with the Patriots, and once I’m traded, I still have confidence to know, ‘O.K., I’ve trained enough to be physically ready. I just gotta go in there and be mentally prepared, and I’ll be fine.’ That’s kind of how.

MMQB: Was there anything hard about being traded that way that no one would know?

SM: I do think it’s hard. You’re changing in an instant. It’s a sudden change that you have to adapt to very quick. And I think it’s hard. And I commend guys that have been traded and are able to be successful throughout the process. I had to learn a whole new coach, a whole new system, whole new terminology, whole new way to go about things in a matter of what, a week? I got in the third preseason game and the following week it’s, we’re jumping into a season. So I had to be prepared for the first game.

MMQB: How long was it before you were really comfortable out there?

SM: I’d say it took me a while. I’m still learning. Yes, I’ve learned so much, and I’ve grown so much from when I first got here. But every day is just a new day, and I feel like I’m continuously just learning.

MMQB: Biggest difference between New England and L.A.?

SM: They’re just two completely different places, so that kind of tells it all. Just two different cities, two different organizations. They’re both great. Two different cultures, so two different teams.

MMQB: Is there something you can bring the Rams from your New England experience?

SM: I try to just stick to what I do, my routine, and hopefully some of the young guys, because we do have quite a bit of young guys on the team, can see something and maybe can grasp the information I do in some way. But I just try to stick to my routine, do what I do, and hopefully it’s successful and guys can try to lean on it.

MMQB: Your production really started to go up just six weeks or so ago with the Jaguars game, and then the Monday-nighter in Arizona. Did anything click for you then?

SM: I wouldn’t say it clicked; I would say it’s just opportunity. I got a chance to play as a starter, and I feel like I tried my best to take advantage. And every week was me just being hungry, and all I just needed was a crumb. And every week is just, I just want a crumb. I just want a little bit. And try to take advantage of that little bit, and it’s been helpful, it’s been successful so far.

MMQB: Is there anything about Sean McVay’s offense that’s made you a better player?

SM: I would say so, from the aspect of expanding my mind. I’d played in one offense for three years. And basically learning a whole new system, it helped me grow as a football player. Now, I know different variations, I can use some of the old stuff that I got and put it in my toolbox for the new stuff that I’ve learned. And I’m learning new things every day with Sean. He’s an offensive genius, I’d say. And how he goes about things, I feel like I’ve learned a lot, actually, from being here.

MMQB: What’s your relationship with Cam Akers been like?

SM: It’s great. And that’s one of my goals, to try to have great relationships with all the guys in the room, because we’re always together. We’re always competing with each other, but we’ve always gotta uplift each other. And yeah, Cam has helped with the process because he brings a different element to the game. His skill set causes other guys to raise their level of play in all different aspects. He brings good energy. He brings that fast tempo to the game that it’s like, O.K., now we gotta try to get rolling too. And that’s part of the aspect of all the running backs kind of pushing each other. And it’s been great to have him back.

MMQB: And as a guy who’s had major injuries, how impressed are you with Cam’s return?

SM: It is remarkable. It’s his commitment to trying to get back. It’s the support system that he has around him. It’s the training staff that devoted so much time and effort to his rehab and training, and everybody was committed. So it’s amazing. It’s remarkable how committed they were, and able to get him back so fast.

MMQB: How does this being the third time you guys have played the Cardinals affect things?

SM: The intensity will be up a little bit, for sure, because this is do or die. But us knowing them, them knowing us, it makes it a very competitive game. I’m sure they’re going to poke something in there that we haven’t seen, and vice versa, and I think that’s what makes this game interesting.

MMQB: You won a Super Bowl as a rookie and haven’t won a playoff game since. Do you have a better appreciation now for the opportunity in front of you?

SM: I always take the same approach. I’ve appreciated it from the first year that I played in it to the year that I didn’t play in it, to now getting another opportunity. Always appreciated it, whether I had the opportunity or didn’t. And when I didn’t, it makes the team and maybe me a little bit more hungry to try to get back to that point. I’m very fortunate to be back in this position, another opportunity to play in a playoff game.

MMQB: Have you given any thought to your future, with free agency coming?

SM: Yeah, I’ve thought about my future. But it’s hard. I would drive myself crazy trying to predict what was going to happen, so the only thing I can control is finishing off strong. And if I finish off this season strong, everything else should be able to play out for itself.

MMQB: Do you want to stay with the Rams?

SM: Definitely.

[www.si.com]

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