Catch Up Interview with Utah Class of 2016 Commitment Micah Croom

Written by Ryan Wright

When we last caught up with Micah Croom he had just finished rattling helmets roaming in the secondary for Servite High School. Now the 6’3”, 195 pound, safety/cornerback is at La Mirada High School preparing for what should be a standout senior season.

Croom has a lot going for him as one of the top safeties in the 2016 recruiting class. He committed to Utah on Nov. 21 and has seen his recruiting stock skyrocket forward from there. Colorado, Illinois, Air Force, Indiana, Western Michigan and Dartmouth have offered with teams like Stanford, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Michigan State showing interest.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview I caught up with Micah to find out how his offseason workouts have gone, received an update on his recruiting status, and picked his brain on what he learned from the many offseason football camps that he attended over the summer.

Interview

Micah, did you go to any camps during the offseason?

“I was invited to a Detroit camp in the Midwest (Sound Mind Sound Body). It was an eye opener for me. Coming in there and correlating with new talent, learning the playbook, and competing. The coaching staff over there – I made a lot of recruiting relationships. It was good. It was different there in the Midwest and I appreciated it a lot.”

Tell me a little bit more about the Sound Mind Sound Body camp. How well did you perform at the camp?

“The Sound Mind Sound Body camp went well. We brought a lot of competitors out from California. Personally, I did well on defensive side of the ball as well as the offensive side of the ball at wide receiver. I focused primarily at safety and at corner. There was a lot of competition. I was able to compete, hold my own, and actually dominate. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the whole camp experience. There were a lot of great speakers there as well. One of the things that made that camp unique, there were a lot of the coaches there with their staff. It was definitely different than anything we have here.”

“I also had a Stanford camp I went to last month. It went well. As a defensive back and a receiver I learned a lot. I took tools I can take with me and put into my game now that will give me results.”

You mentioned the Stanford camp, did you go to any other college camps?

“No I didn’t, that was the only one. We have a lot of practices so it was hard for me to get out there to any other camps.”

Which schools are showing interest in you right now?

“The Midwest camp did help me with recruiting. It kind of gave me a little bit of a jump. I was able to receive offers from Illinois, Indiana, and Western Michigan. I’m in contact with Michigan State and Michigan. Off of that camp, when I came back Air Force offered as well as Dartmouth. Now I am in contact with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Notre Dame as well.”

You’re a wanted man. You brought up the camps, what else have you been doing in the offseason to prepare for your senior year?

“Monday through Friday, and on the weekends too, I get up at 5 o’clock and I’m swimming. I have about a mile jog to the pool. I get there and do 30-40 laps and then I jog back home. After that, once I get some breakfast in me I get a weight lift in to work on my shoulders. I go about my day from there. We have practice and then I have a workout after that or I’ll stretch after that preparing my body for the next one. Other than that I’m doing a lot of footwork and core work. Just trying to work on my core and on my feet.”

I remember some of that workout regiment from before, pretty crazy. What kind of gains have you made in the offseason in strength and quickness?

“With my strength it is one of the bases of my game especially if I am going to be physical with receivers. If I’m going to be strong I have to be able to move my feet to bring my strength to the game. My shuttle has increased to a 4.3. My 40, I haven’t tested in the 40 but I’ve been working on my hamstrings and my core. Last time I checked I was at a 4.5. Next time I line up for a 40 I’m expecting to be lower than that because I am putting in the work to lower that.”

At the camps what was the average height and weight you were measured?

“My height was 6-foot 3-inches and my weight was between 195 and 197.”

How did the transfer from Servite to La Mirada come about for you?

“Well the first thing it is just closer to home for my family. It is also in a convenient area. I don’t know if you heard but the whole coaching staff at Servite was fired. After that, as a family we were not comfortable and we were not sure about the new staff. My coach at La Mirada has only been there for a month and half, so he’s still getting his feet wet too. The critical thing about it, this is my senior year season and we did not know the direction Servite was going in so we did not feel comfortable.”

With La Mirada I’m sure you’ve had a few opportunities to workout with some of the guys on the team already. How does your new team look going into the 2015 season?

“We look solid. We are very-very solid. We have a lot of people from other schools as well. We have some (St. John) Bosco kids, some Mater Dei kids, and Servite as well. The competition is being raise, the athleticism is being raised, and the talent level as well.”

Have you looked over the upcoming schedule yet, and if so is there a game or two you are excited to play in 2015?

“Most definitely, we open up with Bosco, we’ll have a bye week, and then we play Mater Dei. Those first two games will be a great test to see where we are at as a team. Also to see where I am at, how much of any impact can I make on the field? I’m looking forward to.”

What is your focus right now as everything starts to streamline towards the start of the season?

“I’m just focused and working hard. I’m ready to have the best season that I can have and I’m taking everything from there. That’s it.”

Photo credit: uscfootball.com; Micah Croom at Servite High School (2014).
Photo credit: rivals.com; Micah Croom at a Nike camp.