Strachan declares for NFL Draft

Bahamian collegiate football player and track athlete Michael “Mike” Strachan is entering a new chapter in his life as he has declared for the 2021 National Football League (NFL) Draft. He made the announcement in his social media accounts on Monday.

The University of Charleston (UC) Golden Eagles wide receiver in a letter stated that although his time as a Golden Eagles player is over, he is now pursuing his dream to play at the next level.

“… [T]he journey is not over! I am now chasing my dream to play at the next level. I may not wear the same colors, but I will be working hard every day to represent my family, my Eagles brothers and my country, The Bahamas. This for now is just the next chapter, so stay tuned,” the letter said.

At the bottom right of the letter was the Golden Eagles logo with two right-pointing arrows toward the NFL logo.

Strachan thanked the coaching and support staff at UC for supporting him from day one. He also thanked his teammates for being there for him as he was far from his home, in Grand Bahama. He also thanked the UC fans for giving him an unforgettable experience.

The Grand Bahamian helped his team to an 8-3 win/loss record, 7-3 Mountain East Conference (MEC) in 2019. They finished second in their conference. The Golden Eagles compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II (DII).

Due to the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Golden Eagles did not play any football this past fall season. Strachan was poised for another strong year for the Golden Eagles.

Strachan played in all 11 games for the Golden Eagles in 2019, totaling 19 touchdown receptions. He had 78 receptions for a total of 1,319 receiving yards. In his first three games that season, he had at least 145 receiving yards in each one. The speedster scored at least one touchdown in 10 of those 11 games last year and caught a touchdown in all 10 of the MEC games.

Those 19 touchdowns and 78 receptions were UC single-season records. The previous touchdown record was 13 which was set by Charlie Hubbard in 1950. The previous receptions record was 60, set by Terrance Spencer in 2006.

On October 12, 2019, Strachan set the Golden Eagles’ single-game record for most receiving yards with 207 yards which came against Notre Dame College. The previous record was 186 yards set by Andre Higgins in 2010.

Another UC single-game record was in the receptions category, and Strachan broke that after hauling in 13 catches against Urbana University on September 12. He also has the second-most receptions in a single game in school history with 12 against Notre Dame College.

Against Glenville State College on October 28, 2019, the 6’ 5” 225-pound receiver earned MEC Player of the Week honors as he finished that game with nine receptions for 175 yards and a whopping four touchdown catches. The four touchdown catches matched an MEC record.

The redshirt senior earned First Team All-MEC honors for a second consecutive year. Other accolades included being selected to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II All-American Second Team, earning NCAA DII Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) First Team All-Region honors, and he was the on the 2019 Don Hansen’s Football Gazette All-Super Region One First Team.

The former Liberty Christian High School athlete’s track and field resume is also an impressive one. He is the reigning MEC Indoor 400 meters (m) champion, winning that title in February of this year. He won with a UC school record after crossing the finish line in 47.99 seconds. Strachan was a member of the Golden Eagles’ 4x400m MEC Indoor Championships team, and was on the NCAA provisional qualifier list for the NCAA DII Indoor Championships for the 400m.

In 2019, Strachan won the MEC Outdoor Championships 400m race with a time of 47.59 seconds. He was looking forward to the 2020 outdoor collegiate track season but that never got underway because of the COIVD-19 pandemic. He also wanted to make the 2020 Bahamas Olympic team that was going to Toyko, Japan this past summer.

The Olympics is now set for July 23 to August 8, 2021, still in Tokyo.

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/strachan-declares-for-nfl-draft/