It's now 9 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 2nd, 2023, against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, AR.
To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful a little more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day.
Today we highlight two players assigned to #9, one on defense and one on offense
#9 Micah Nelson & #9 Cole Gonzales
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#9 Micah Nelson
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6-3
Weight: 265
Class: Redshirt Junior
Hometown: Murphy, N.C.
High School: Murphy HS
2023 (Redshirt Junior): Selected first-team preseason All-Southern Conference by the league's head coaches.
2022 (Redshirt Sophomore): One of seven players including four defenders to start all 11 games on the season, doing so from his defensive end position … Recorded 35 tackles on the year with 14 solo stops and three tackles for loss coming on sacks … Credited with four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup … Posted three-or-more tackles in seven games on the year including a season-best seven tackles at Samford (Sept. 24) … Had four tackles including a sack and a half against VMI (Oct. 1) … Posted three tackles with a sack against Wofford (Nov. 5) … Named to the 2022 Fall Academic All-Southern Conference team ... Selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team ... Named to the 2022-23 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and Received a SoCon Commissioner's Medal.
2021 (Redshirt Freshman*): Started all 11 games along the defensive line as a stand-up defensive end ... Finished with 33 total tackles on the year including 15 solo stops and three tackles for loss ... Had at least one tackle in all 11 games with four-or-more stops in five games including a season-high six against Samford (Sept. 18) ... Recovered a fumble against Furman (Nov. 6) ... Credited with three quarterback hurries and two pass break-ups ... Was a fourth-team All-Southern Conference selection by Phil Steele ... Named to the 2021 Fall Academic All-Southern Conference team ... Named to the 2021-22 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
2020-21 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in all nine of the team’s games with four starts … Recorded 27 total tackles including 13 solo stops and 1.5 tackles for loss … Credited with two quarterback hurries and one pass break-up … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener at Liberty (Nov. 14) … Recorded his first collegiate tackles including half a tackle for loss at North Carolina (Dec. 5) … Tallied seven tackles at Furman (Feb. 20) … Recorded a career-high nine tackles including seven solo stops with a TFL against The Citadel (March 13) ... Named to the 2020-21 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and was named Academic All-Southern Conference.
2019 (Freshman): Did not see game action and is eligible for a redshirt ... Named to the 2019-20 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Prior to Western Carolina: Joined the Catamount football team as a preferred walk-on after a stellar prep career at Murphy High … Was a two-time state champion (2016 & 2018) and three-time Smoky Mountain Conference champion as a prep … Twice named all-conference and All-Western North Carolina … Played wide receiver, defensive back, and quarterback as a senior during his prep career … Credited with 128 career tackles including seven tackles for loss while totaling 17 pass break-ups and 10 career interceptions … Finished with 57 career receptions for 907 yards, while also passing for 1,130 yards and rushing for 261 – recording 28 career total touchdowns ... High school coach was David Gentry.
Personal: Full name is Micah Thomas Nelson … Is the son of Becky and Thomas Nelson … Was born in Bristol, Va. … Has two younger siblings, Grace and Tyra … Father, Thomas, was an All-American football player at Emory & Henry College (1998) and a 2011 inductee into the Emory & Henry College Sports Hall of Fame.
PRONUNCIATION: MY-kuh Nelson
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#9 Cole Gonzales
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6-0
Weight: 195
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Ocala, Fla.
High School: Trinity Catholic HS
2022 (Freshman): Played in eight games as a true freshman with four starts at quarterback … Completed 102-of-161 passes for 1,336 yards with 11 touchdowns against seven interceptions … Added 147 rushing yards on 43 attempts with a touchdown … Averaged 185.4 yards of total offense per game … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener at Charleston Southern (Sept. 3) without recording any statistics … Completed his first collegiate pass at Georgia Tech (Sept. 10), finishing 6-of-8 for 38 yards against the Yellow Jackets … Made his first collegiate start in the home win over Presbyterian (Sept. 17), throwing for 276 yards on 19 completions with three TD passes - his first on a five-yard pass to TE Ajay Belanger … Completed a career-best 24 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in guiding WCU to a win over nationally-ranked Chattanooga (Nov. 19) … Named to the 2022 Southern Conference All-Freshman team on offense ... Named to the 2022-23 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Prior to Western Carolina: Pro-style quarterback was a four-year varsity starter at Trinity Catholic HS … Threw for 932 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior, adding 668 yards and five scores on the ground in leading Trinity Catholic to the regional finals of the FHSAA 3A playoffs … Also averaged 42.3 yards per punt … Passed for 1,008 yards while rushing for 300 as a junior, guiding his high school to the Class 3A state semifinals … Also plays baseball as a prep.
Personal: Is the son of Julie and Billy Gonzales … His father is an assistant football coach at FAU where he coaches wide receivers … Was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Height: 6-3
Weight: 265
Class: Redshirt Junior
Hometown: Murphy, N.C.
High School: Murphy HS
2023 (Redshirt Junior): Selected first-team preseason All-Southern Conference by the league's head coaches.
2022 (Redshirt Sophomore): One of seven players including four defenders to start all 11 games on the season, doing so from his defensive end position … Recorded 35 tackles on the year with 14 solo stops and three tackles for loss coming on sacks … Credited with four quarterback hurries and a pass breakup … Posted three-or-more tackles in seven games on the year including a season-best seven tackles at Samford (Sept. 24) … Had four tackles including a sack and a half against VMI (Oct. 1) … Posted three tackles with a sack against Wofford (Nov. 5) … Named to the 2022 Fall Academic All-Southern Conference team ... Selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team ... Named to the 2022-23 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and Received a SoCon Commissioner's Medal.
2021 (Redshirt Freshman*): Started all 11 games along the defensive line as a stand-up defensive end ... Finished with 33 total tackles on the year including 15 solo stops and three tackles for loss ... Had at least one tackle in all 11 games with four-or-more stops in five games including a season-high six against Samford (Sept. 18) ... Recovered a fumble against Furman (Nov. 6) ... Credited with three quarterback hurries and two pass break-ups ... Was a fourth-team All-Southern Conference selection by Phil Steele ... Named to the 2021 Fall Academic All-Southern Conference team ... Named to the 2021-22 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
2020-21 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in all nine of the team’s games with four starts … Recorded 27 total tackles including 13 solo stops and 1.5 tackles for loss … Credited with two quarterback hurries and one pass break-up … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener at Liberty (Nov. 14) … Recorded his first collegiate tackles including half a tackle for loss at North Carolina (Dec. 5) … Tallied seven tackles at Furman (Feb. 20) … Recorded a career-high nine tackles including seven solo stops with a TFL against The Citadel (March 13) ... Named to the 2020-21 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and was named Academic All-Southern Conference.
2019 (Freshman): Did not see game action and is eligible for a redshirt ... Named to the 2019-20 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Prior to Western Carolina: Joined the Catamount football team as a preferred walk-on after a stellar prep career at Murphy High … Was a two-time state champion (2016 & 2018) and three-time Smoky Mountain Conference champion as a prep … Twice named all-conference and All-Western North Carolina … Played wide receiver, defensive back, and quarterback as a senior during his prep career … Credited with 128 career tackles including seven tackles for loss while totaling 17 pass break-ups and 10 career interceptions … Finished with 57 career receptions for 907 yards, while also passing for 1,130 yards and rushing for 261 – recording 28 career total touchdowns ... High school coach was David Gentry.
Personal: Full name is Micah Thomas Nelson … Is the son of Becky and Thomas Nelson … Was born in Bristol, Va. … Has two younger siblings, Grace and Tyra … Father, Thomas, was an All-American football player at Emory & Henry College (1998) and a 2011 inductee into the Emory & Henry College Sports Hall of Fame.
PRONUNCIATION: MY-kuh Nelson
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#9 Cole Gonzales
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6-0
Weight: 195
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Ocala, Fla.
High School: Trinity Catholic HS
2022 (Freshman): Played in eight games as a true freshman with four starts at quarterback … Completed 102-of-161 passes for 1,336 yards with 11 touchdowns against seven interceptions … Added 147 rushing yards on 43 attempts with a touchdown … Averaged 185.4 yards of total offense per game … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener at Charleston Southern (Sept. 3) without recording any statistics … Completed his first collegiate pass at Georgia Tech (Sept. 10), finishing 6-of-8 for 38 yards against the Yellow Jackets … Made his first collegiate start in the home win over Presbyterian (Sept. 17), throwing for 276 yards on 19 completions with three TD passes - his first on a five-yard pass to TE Ajay Belanger … Completed a career-best 24 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns in guiding WCU to a win over nationally-ranked Chattanooga (Nov. 19) … Named to the 2022 Southern Conference All-Freshman team on offense ... Named to the 2022-23 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Prior to Western Carolina: Pro-style quarterback was a four-year varsity starter at Trinity Catholic HS … Threw for 932 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior, adding 668 yards and five scores on the ground in leading Trinity Catholic to the regional finals of the FHSAA 3A playoffs … Also averaged 42.3 yards per punt … Passed for 1,008 yards while rushing for 300 as a junior, guiding his high school to the Class 3A state semifinals … Also plays baseball as a prep.
Personal: Is the son of Julie and Billy Gonzales … His father is an assistant football coach at FAU where he coaches wide receivers … Was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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