In the NFL Draft starting today in Green Bay. And we're talking with the guy right now that knows about this process leading up to it. He is former University of Houston linebacker seven lakes product out of the Katie area, Michael Batton. Michael, what's going on? Man, appreciate your time.
You got me, Dan Matthews, you got Sean Salisbury here with you, And I mean, you're a guy that knows anything but a straight path in this game in terms of having to switch positions, playing at different schools, all of those different things. How do you feel like all going through all that entire process prepared you for possibly having a pro career.
Hey, guys and Sean, thank you, thank you for having me on the show. Yeah, my path definitely hasn't been a straight line. It's been quite a winding road. But like you said, it definitely prepared prepared me for the next level. You know, it's not going to be easy at the next level, and it definitely wasn't easy taking this path, and I think all that adversity kind of
created a lot stronger person that's prepared for anything. And I have the confidence now to take the next step and take whatever is going to come my way at the next level.
Michael, You when you came out of high school and played quarterback and you've played wide receiver, you played lineback, you played quarterback, and you were recruited, had no scholarship offers, and so take me through that feeling. You know, you're busting your ass in high school wanting an opportunity most people, and they're no offers. Going to college, get your degree, it's time to move on from football?
Why not you?
Yeah, well, I actually thought, you know, that's what I was going to do. You know, out of high school, like you said, I didn't have many opportunities at all. All I had was a walk on opportunity University Louisiana Lafayette. I took that was only there for about a week or two, and I just decided that maybe football wasn't for me. I was lit upset, you know, I couldn't play quarterback anymore, and so, yeah, away from the sport,
and I thought I'd never come back. And you know that that year I took off back in twenty nineteen, I was just living in College Station. I was going to go to Blend Junior College up in Brian, which didn't have the football team. It was just strictly a school and I was going to go to A and M. But I quickly realized, you know, I might have made a mistake and kind of found my way back back into football. And I think, you know, it was really a blessing that they went that way, and I'm glad
I got back into it. It was it was that year, you know, I needed to take a break and kind of put everything back into perspective, and it led me back to the sport I love. And it's like like we were saying, it's been a crazy ride, and I'm glad I got back into it. And I'm glad I took that year off. It's everything I needed to kind of put thing back into perspective.
How did you keep yourself esteem intact? And I'm being serid because a lot of you know, kids go through and you've been beat down, you're not playing the position you want. You go to school, you're only there for a little bit, you know, Lafayette, and you're going somewhere else. You're done with it, and it gets you know that feeling of man, I don't want to get cut. I want to I didn't get a scholarship. I just I'm fascinated with your resilience, and I think you went to
what five schools? Ended up at Houston Aunible mentioned All conference linebacker, finally found your position under coach Fritz.
But the journey to get there.
Most of us, your path is the one we'd say, if we're sitting on a radio show, say five schools, come on, man, when's it done right?
We would have tried to talk to you out of it.
How did you stay involved in it? There had to be one deciding moment where you said, nah, I got to continue to prove to these guys I'm resilient.
How'd you stick to well? You know, in the beginning, it was more about getting my.
Life back together, right STUPA stepping away from football made me realize just how good of an organization athletics really is at keeping your life straight. And when I stepped away from it, I saw that, you know, I struggled with discipline and those kind of things. So you know, I knew I was good at football, and that's kind of all I knew up to that point in my life. And I was like, I just want to get on
a team, get my life back together. And figure this whole thing out, and you know, I'm gonna put my best foot forward, and you know that's what I did. I started at HBU, and you know, I didn't do too well there. I kind of fell flat on my face. I did end up getting into the quarterback room. But when springball came around in twenty twenty one, I was the only quarterback, you know, not getting any reps.
But I did learn two things. I realized I'm a great athlete. I really am.
I can't compete at this college level on athletic level, and I'm good enough to play quarterback. So you know, that was kind of my rock bottom though, not getting those reps. In spring practice, I was literally the only quarterback. They wouldn't even let me throw routes on air. It
was it was kind of embarrassing, but it's funny. You know, when you hit that rock bottom, you kind of I guess it humbles you, but it gives you, you know, a new perspective on things, and I kind of just jump started from there.
I realized, you know, I can play this sport.
I'm athletic enough, and so at that route to JUCO and I had a really good season up in New York, which the Juco Nashau Community College was was in Long Island, and I had one of my best years yet. And you know, that's kind of how I kept myself with steam up. I just took it one step at a time. And you know, unfortunately after that, I didn't really have any offers.
I had an offer to SCS School up in Wagner.
I was going to go there, but there's a great situation that didn't work out, an eligibility situation. They took me all for a way and I was left with nothing. And obviously that that hurt me a lot too, and I felt like I was just back in that same situation I was after HBU. But at the same time, I still had that confidence that I could play football.
I still had three years left. And one day a coach came and calling from ULM saying they'd love to have me as an athlete, special teams player and on defense.
And I kind of.
Laughed at the idea at first, but something in my heart was telling me that this was a good opportunity. I go play Division one football. I get, you know, continue pursuing my degree, being a good program with the Brotherhood and that's what was most important to me still at that time, and so I took that chance and I went and you know, right off the bat on four stream, and of course I'm a little upset with that, but it is what it is. I know, you know,
I'm a former quarterback. The dude the're probably like, who the hell is this guy?
You know whatever.
But luckily for me, the second team guy ended up quitting two weeks into me getting there, and the third screen guy was another walk on like me, And first week in the fall camp, I moved up to the second string spot. And throughout that year I was just the twelfth man guy special teams. But by the ten game of the season, I finally got my opportunity.
The starter got hurt and had that game.
I finished with sixteen tackles fifteen so it was past deflection and a forced fumble. And then the last two games and at the last two games I also led the team and tackles both those games, and I finished the season with forty five tackles, which was fifth on the team in pretty much three games. So when you talk about self esteem, at that point it started to coming.
Along, went right right. Your production was off the charts.
Yes, sir, and you know, stepping into that next season, I got put on scholarship right after the season, started feeling real good about myself and real confident in my capabilities. Led the team and tackles. That next year at ULM, was defensive player of the year, was a captain. Unfortunately, a team did real bad, you know, and that's kind of when you know, me and my father kind of had some conversations about hitting the portal.
And obviously that led me to Houston. I didn't think I would get any of these these big offers, but.
They kind of started coming in and I was very blessed, and Houston just made sense, you know, close to home and an opportunity to rewrite my history and my failures that were at HBU.
Yeah.
Michael Batton again, former UH linebacker joining us here getting ready for the draft, and Michael part of that process. You go the Big twelve Pro Day, you run a four five three forty. You also broad jump ten feet two inches best among the linebackers there at Big twelve Pro Day, ninety tackles last year on the field. I mean, you know, you throw all that together when you're talking with teams. I mean, is it just as simple as you tell them? Hey, watch my tape. It shows you know.
I wish it was that simple, but unfortunately it's not. You know, I'm fighting.
Fighting different things, you know, with my size, and you know how that goes. Sean, you know you're a former NFL player. But I think you know, at the end of the day, my film it is the end all be all, and I have really good film. I think I have some of the best film in this draft class. Thankfully. At the prodaate, like you mentioned, I ran really fast four or five three, and that's was a big question about me. They knew I was quick, they could see it on film. They wanted to know just how fast
it was. And I needed to be as quick and as fast as possible because there is a.
Concern about my size.
I think it's a little bs but that's just part of the game and that's okay.
So but I checked all the boxes that I could possibly check. My film is.
Really amazing and I'm excited to see where this will take me.
Michael, think about this. Five schools didn't get recruited out of high school. Come here, if you play great, go to Juco. Find your way through the coach Fritz's team of Houston. Now we're on the morning of the draft and you're somehow, some way, regardless of the free agents are getting drafted somewhere, you're going to be putting on an NFL uniform training camp. The road you've been on,
you've got to be fired up. So thoughts today about possible round, what they've told you, and where are your emotions today heading into.
What right now?
I mean, for you, you've been through plenty of adversity, but what a great reward to be able to anticipate this day for you.
Yeah, certainly, it's still hard to believe. I think it's still setting in that like the draft is today. But you know, I got at least twelve teams interested. I mean twelve teams have made contact with me and showed some strong interests, So you know, things are looking pretty good.
I think early as our fall is the fifth.
Round, but you know, I think I'll be anywhere from fifth round to seventh round to a priority free agent. Should if I don't get drafted, I should be getting that getting several calls right after the seventh round, and so yeah, obviously I'm very excited. I feel very blessed. Things are definitely coming full circle.
You know.
To be able to start in Houston, come all the way back, play like I did.
And to be on this stage is it's it's really a dream come true.
And I think it's just a lesson and just putting your best foot forward and everything that you do and God kind of leads you down a path that maybe you didn't expect and sometimes it's a lot.
Better than what you had planned.
But you know, obviously I'm excited and I'm thankful, but at the end of the day, I won't be pleased until I make that fifty three man roster.
So this is really just step one of a long, long process.
See Michael, the transfer portal was set up for stuff like this. You know, when somebody says five schools, everybody, oh my gosh, was he chasing nil money? Your whole thing was chasing an opportunity and you had to switch positions to do it. And these are the stories everybody wants to hear. But for you, yeah, it's a feel good. But the feel good is getting getting paid on Sundays
and going to knocking people around. So with that in mind, were you given is there somebody, family member, coach, player, advice you were given not just to get to this point, but in your preparation and expectations, advice you were given as you prepare to embrace a chance to play in the NFL.
Yeah. Absolutely.
One thing I've mentioned on several different radio shows and some people that I've talked to about this journey. It's something my father's with me. I think it's so simple, but it really resonates me. Was he told me that it's not about winning or losing, it's about trying. And the reason that resonated with me so much is because I think I was so paralyzed with fear of failure in high school that held me back so much that you know, it was more about, oh, I don't want
to look bad versus all. I want to go out there and be the best I can be, and whatever happens happening.
Because at the end of the day, if you give it your all, if you try, you.
Prepared as much as possible, you can't lose it, no matter the outcome. And so once I took that mentality into this life and into this game, everything took off for me. So that that would be the one thing that really kept me going and it is keeping me going.
Now, all right, real quick and we'll let you go. We can't thank you enough for coming on. Your story is so fascinating and I hope it culminates in this next few days of excitement for you. This approach to it is, did you grow up a Texans fan?
Be honest?
Now, if you were putting a jersey on that, I said, hey, man, you get to put a jersey on your team, who would it.
Be well to tell you the truth?
I actually did grow up in Denver, Colorado during my elementary days and been to Denver game.
So that's one team that would definitely be a blessing.
Unfortunately they haven't contacted me, but I have always been a Denver fan. But of course I moved to Houston here back in twenty eleven, and I've been a Houston fan ever since. You know, how could you not wrap your hometown team.
Putting on the Houston Texans.
Jersey would just really put things into full circle and I think would really even be a cooler story.
And you know, I went to their local dad.
I got to meet Tamiko Ryans, the DC, the linebacker coach, and walk around their facility and just super cool for obvious reasons. Putting on the Texans Jersey wou definitely be a blessing and hopefully they can give me an off or or draft me. I think they'd be very pleased what I can do for them as an organization.
Well, Man, what a fascinating story, and your resilience is pretty damn special, So getting in that uniform I have. I don't think any of us are going to question the fact that you will finalize that goal of a fifty three man roster. But we're so gratefully you spent time with us. Man, I hope this weekend is a life changer for you and and validates all the hard
work and time you've put in to continue to believe. Man, it's great, and we were pulling for you, and now now that we got you on, we would imagine that when you're out there making Pro Bowls, that any time we call, you are coming on the radio with us without without saying no, I don't have time for you guys.
Fair enough.
Absolutely, I love doing this stuff and I really appreciate y'all getting me on the show. So certainly I'm making those Pro Bowls, getting in them super Bowls.
Just just give me a call, right.
We'll do that, Michael. Congratulations and good luck. We sure appreciate you, brother, Thank you.
All right, guys, I appreciate it. Great.
What a great story.