Small comes up big
for the Vikings

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Mike Small could have stayed put and enjoyed the storybook senior year.
Small was the incumbent quarterback of the Northeast High School football team. But after the first three games of the season, all non-league games, the Vikings didn’t have a win.
Small wasn’t the problem, but he was the solution.
The Vikings had a reliable backup quarterback in freshman Malik Stokes, but they needed a few other playmakers.
That’s where Mike Small came in.
"Honestly, I didn’t mind moving at all," said Small, also a standout cornerback. "I know it’s the old saying, but I just wanted to do whatever was best for the team.
"I liked quarterback, that’s the position I played my whole life," he continued. "But after I talked to the coaches, they said they’d still use me, they’d find ways to get me the ball. So I didn’t mind at all. It seemed to work out for everyone."
Small’s coaches kept their word.
Small returned kickoffs and punts.
He lined up at running back and ran up the middle. He also caught passes out of the backfield.
Then, when the team needed a receiver, they moved Small outside.
Yes, he got the ball.
Small rushed for 218 yards in Northeast’s offense, good for second on the team. He also scored four touchdowns, including two on kickoff returns, and shared team-high honors for interceptions with two.
For those accomplishments, Small will play for the Public League squad on Saturday night in the 33rd annual Daily News-Eagles City All-Star football game at Northeast High School. The game, which starts at 7, features the best of the Public League against the best of the Non-Public city schools.
For Small, who will line up at cornerback, the game will serve as the perfect ending to a fine football career.
"It’s great to get picked. Practices have been fun and we’re all looking forward to it," Small said. "We have a lot of good players, a lot of guys you don’t really know until you practice with them. We’ve played against each other, but now we’re on the same team.
"I’m going to play corner and we’re playing a Cover-2 defense, so I’ll be facing some really good receivers, man to man," he continued. "I’m excited about that, it’s always fun to see how you do against a good player."
Small, who stands 5-feet-8 and weighs about 160 pounds, shouldn’t have a problem keeping up with his opponents.
In fact, he’s been improving his speed every day on the edges of the football field at Charlie Martin Memorial Stadium, where he runs the 200-meter, 400-meter, and one leg of the 4-by-100-meter relay race.
For all of his football accomplishments, next year Small will turn in the cleats and just wear sneakers when he makes the move to college.
"I love football, but I think next year I’ll just focus on track," said Small, who placed fourth in the 200-meter race at the Public League championships last week. "I love track too, and I’m still getting better. The sports, you know, they’re both a lot of running, so when I’m working on one I’m actually working on both."
Small will attend Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. He’ll focus on track and also tracking down criminals.
"I want to study criminal justice, I want to find murderers and put those kind of people away," said Small, who lives around the corner from Northeast High. "I started thinking about studying criminal justice because I was a big fan of the show The First 48.
"I saw how people felt when their family’s killers were caught, and I think I’d like to do something like that," he added. "It seems like a rewarding job, and it also looks fun and exciting. It seems like everything I’d like."
Especially if one of those criminals tried to get away.
"Yeah, they can run, I’ll track them down," he said with a laugh.
Speaking of fast, Small’s time at Northeast is rapidly coming to an end. And for a guy who has been a football star, a standout student and a stud track star, the end of high school can be tough.
"I’m going to miss everything about it," said Small, who transferred to Northeast from Central after his sophomore year. "I’d have to say my best memories were beating Central this year and last year. But I liked everything about Northeast. I’m really going to miss it." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com