Sheely ready for Ripon
PLYMOUTH – Plymouth senior football player Michael Sheely has made his decision to continue his education and play football at Ripon College in Wisconsin.
“My final two were Ripon and Wabash College,” said Sheely of his decision. “It had nothing to do with Ripon being out of state. I visited both of them three times and every time I went to Ripon it was like home. It was a strong connection to the people there. Not just the coaching staff or the players but the students there. They were fabulous people. I really grew close to them. I’m really excited to be a part of it.”
“They were both great choices not just for football but for the education,” he said. “After four years you are going to have to go to work in the real world. Both schools had great opportunities.”
Sheely will be just as ambitious in his educational pursuits, taking on a challenging course of study for a student also having the time demands of football.
“As of now I am going to double major in business management and marketing,” he said. “Beyond the undergrad, their (Ripon) business school has 100 percent acceptance to Wisconsin University. My plan is to get my MBA from Wisconsin afterward.”
The course of study is certain, but Sheely’s course after that is a little undecided.
“I’m not 100 percent sure what I want to do eventually,” he said. “I know that I don’t want to run my own business or anything like that. It’s kind of wide open right now. It’s going to help that I can have three internships a year. When I leave I’ll have a wide variety of careers to choose from to see what a good career path might be.”
A big part of Sheely’s decision for Ripon football had to do with feeling wanted.
“As of right now they want me on the offensive side at receiver,” said Michael. “The plan is to get me up on the playbook now and over the summer. If I pick up the playbook fast enough I’ll come in at second string and possibly be a starter as a freshman.”
Education may be the number one priority for Michael but having a chance to play football a little longer had a lot to do with it.
“You can always go to the gym anytime and play pick-up basketball but you really can’t do that in football,” said Sheely. “Most people after four years won’t play again, and going pro is nearly impossible anymore. I know if I go there I can play for three or four years as much as possible. I just want to enjoy that experience.”
Sheely also says he will take some of Rockie football with him to Ripon.
“What I’m going to take away from (Plymouth football coach) Coach Handley is our four core program values; positive attitude, good work ethic, competing and sacrifice,” said Sheely. “He taught us those things won’t just make you a good player but a great person overall. I believe 100 percent in those core values and that’s something that I’m going to take away with me.”
