So what led up to senior football star Michael Starts's heading to Texas Tech for college football? He said that Tech first contacted him at the end of his junior season after head coach Willie Williams gave the coaches a film of his defensive play. Shortly afterward, Tech sent letters about the campus and offered a full scholarship in the spring of 2011. After considering many offers, Starts chose the Red Raiders in dramatic fashion in front of the student body by walking up to a table with caps representing his final four choices, also including Baylor, Oklahoma, and Texas.

“My parents are behind me 100% whatever decision I make, and I felt comfortable with Tech, so I took an official visit and really liked how the whole town is behind the team,” Starts said. “I’ll be playing strong-side defensive end and am looking forward to heading to Tech June 7 and settling into the freshmen dorm just down from Jones Stadium.”

The 6-4, 275-lb. senior started football and basketball at five years old and was always bigger than other kids, starting his career as outside linebacker (his favorite position), running back, defensive end, and tight end for the Redmen Bingo and basketball with the Undertakers. In junior high, Starts played seventh grade under Rick Salter and eighth grade for Monty Francis in both sports. The seventh-grade football team went 10-0 and 9-1 in eighth, losing to Connally by two.

As a freshman, “Big Mike” played four games for head varsity coach Clay Cody and as a sophomore earned more minutes as one of the first substitutes off the bench and even starting a few games. The past two seasons he has started nearly every game and was Defensive Player of the Year as a junior with more honors undoubtedly coming after the current season.

Starts played on the JV football team as a freshman, missing two games with an elbow injury, and started at tight end as a sophomore, making First-Team All-District and moving to the offensive line as a junior as the team changed formations.

"I was happy to change positions to help the team out more and didn’t miss catching passes, but I made first team Super Centex as a sophomore, junior, and senior as well as First-Team All-District this fall,” he said. “Colleges couldn’t talk to me until my junior year but just sent information letters. I can still play basketball in my spare time but won’t miss playing organized ball at Tech.”

Last fall, the starting post became the first Modoc ever selected to the US Army All-American Bowl Jan. 7 in San Antonio after game officials looked at his highlights film and noted his Super Centex selections in the process, making him one of only 90 honorees nationwide.

“I went down to San Antonio Dec. 31 and stayed in the Grand Hyatt, the biggest hotel in town a week before the game, practiced that Monday and Tuesday, took Wednesday off, practiced Thursday, and had a walk-through on Friday,” Starts said. “However, at the Tuesday morning practice, my arm got stuck between two layers, and someone hit my elbow, giving me a deep bruise, so I didn’t play. It felt uncomfortable watching instead of playing, but I encouraged the team from the sideline in uniform.”

The new Red Raider reports to practice a few days after graduation and already knows fellow recruit Dominique Wheeler from Crockett HS, who might live in the same dorm.

“I’ll miss Waco a little but will get used to the flat terrain and wind in Lubbock,” he said. “I’ll never get bored there because there’s always something to do, mostly at the stadium with the team, and I’ll come home every chance I get to visit family and friends and root for the Modocs.”