Mike is one of the outstanding people I have met at Cal. A true leader, determined competitor, great guy, awesome housemate, fun... I realize, like every Old Blue, our school days fade with ever increasing acceleration into the recesses of history, but Mike is one for the books.
A quick story about how Mike and I met and then became housemates. It was early Summer of 1990... I was the doorman at Raleigh's (a GREAT job!). Mike had not yet assumed the starting role for Cal (he would that summer) and was not yet 21... so one night he wants to come into Raleigh's, showed me his ID, except one little problem, it was Troy Taylor's info. Back in the day (I'm not sure this can still be done), if you had your driver's license you could let a younger friend use your information to go get a California Identification card. Obviously Troy and Mike were friends... I told Mike, "This isn't you" and he kept saying "that's me" about his photo and I said back, laughing, "But I'm friends with Troy Taylor and you're not Troy Taylor." Long story short, Mike didn't get in that night, but as we had mutual friends, he did eventually that Summer... that fall we had Classics 180 with Prof Miller together and became friends. Mike had to present to the class on what makes a "hero" and he used Joe Roth as his topic. As the semester went on, we became better friends and so when he and Sug (and Jerrott Willard, and Tim Manning) needed a housemate they asked me to join. It was a great time in life! Mike and I still laugh about the ID thing to this day.
So, to one of the truest, greatest Golden Bears, to the captain that took us to our highest final season ranking in the last 80 years, to our last New Years Day bowl win since 1938, and maybe his greatest achievement - putting up with me as a housemate... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!!!
A quick story about how Mike and I met and then became housemates. It was early Summer of 1990... I was the doorman at Raleigh's (a GREAT job!). Mike had not yet assumed the starting role for Cal (he would that summer) and was not yet 21... so one night he wants to come into Raleigh's, showed me his ID, except one little problem, it was Troy Taylor's info. Back in the day (I'm not sure this can still be done), if you had your driver's license you could let a younger friend use your information to go get a California Identification card. Obviously Troy and Mike were friends... I told Mike, "This isn't you" and he kept saying "that's me" about his photo and I said back, laughing, "But I'm friends with Troy Taylor and you're not Troy Taylor." Long story short, Mike didn't get in that night, but as we had mutual friends, he did eventually that Summer... that fall we had Classics 180 with Prof Miller together and became friends. Mike had to present to the class on what makes a "hero" and he used Joe Roth as his topic. As the semester went on, we became better friends and so when he and Sug (and Jerrott Willard, and Tim Manning) needed a housemate they asked me to join. It was a great time in life! Mike and I still laugh about the ID thing to this day.
So, to one of the truest, greatest Golden Bears, to the captain that took us to our highest final season ranking in the last 80 years, to our last New Years Day bowl win since 1938, and maybe his greatest achievement - putting up with me as a housemate... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!!!