Post by The Cats on Aug 27, 2024 5:17:06 GMT -5
It's now 2 days until the kickoff of Catamount Football on Thursday, August 29, 2024, against the NC State Wolfpack in Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful 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 will highlight two players that wear #2, one on offense and one of defense:
#2 Branson Adams
Position Running Back
Height 5-9
Weight 190
Class Junior
Hometown Greensboro, N.C.
High School Dudley HS
2023 (Junior): Played in all 11 games with four starts at running back coming in the final four games of the regular season … Rushed 89 times for 539 yards with three touchdowns, averaging 49 yards per game … Eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark one time with a career-best 110 yards against ETSU (Nov. 11) … Added 36 receptions out of the backfield for 266 yards with four touchdowns … Recorded his first collegiate touchdown on a game-winning 8-yard TD reception at Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 16) … Scored his first touchdown on the ground at Chattanooga (Oct. 7) with a 37-yard romp late in the third quarter … Twice went over 100 all-purpose yards in a game with 101 – 51 rushing, 50 receiving – at Wofford (Nov. 4) and a career-high 183 yards – 110 yards rushing and 73 receiving yards – in the home win over ETSU … Led the purple squad in WCU’s annual Spring Game with five rushes for 27 yards.
2022 (Sophomore): Played in four games as an offensive reserve and on special teams … Credited with an unassisted tackle in the road win at Charleston Southern (Sept. 3) … Recorded one rush for three yards and one reception at Georgia Tech (Sept. 10) ... Named to the 2022-23 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
2021 (Freshman*): Played in 10 of the team’s 11 games on the season between special teams and an offensive reserve, finishing the season with 94 all-purpose yards … Rushed 13 times for 41 yards with four receptions for 17 total yards … Recorded a career-high three rushes three times including at Oklahoma (Sept. 11), at Gardner-Webb (Sept. 25) and at Wofford (Oct. 30) … Caught a career-best two passes at Chattanooga (Oct. 2) … Posted four kickoff returns for a combined 36 yards.
2020-21 (Freshman): Did not see game action ... Named to the 2020-21 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Prior to Western Carolina: Four-year varsity letter winner … Began his prep career at Northern Guilford while also playing at Page HS before finishing at Dudley HS … Rushed for 1,211 yards over his final two seasons as a prep, scoring 21 touchdowns on the ground … Made 32 career receptions for 503 yards and three receiving scores … Added 150 yards on kickoff returns and 17 on punt returns for 1,881 career all-purpose yards … Defensively, tallied 59 tackles as a senior including 36 solo stops and 1.5 sacks with three interceptions as a senior … Rushed for 183 yards and two TDs while catching two passes for 44 yards as a sophomore at Page HS … Four-year, A-B Honor Roll as a prep while also running track … Joined the WCU football team as a walk-on.
#2 Micah Nelson
Position Defensive End
Height 6-3
Weight 265
Class Redshirt Senior
Hometown Murphy, N.C.
High School Murphy HS
2023 (Redshirt Junior): Selected first-team preseason All-Southern Conference by the league's head coaches ... Missed the season due to injury ... Named to the 2023-24 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
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: Joins 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.
