Entering the season, the game plan for Tahlequah football included the possibility of Michael Torkelson playing quarterback but after evaluating his skills at wide receiver, coaches were equally impressed with the opportunities for the Tigers’ sophomore to become a game changer at that position.

“The move was more of a challenge than I thought it would be,” said Torkelson. “It’s more about the fine details and where you’re going to break on your routes. That kind of thing was difficult at the start, but now I think I’ve got it going pretty good now.”

Without hesitation, the 5-11, 175-pound sophomore proudly wears a single digit jersey for the Tigers.

 “Wearing the number 2 jersey, a single digit as a sophomore, brings added responsibility with it. That alone motivates me to compete at a higher level every day. If you’re going to do anything in life, you need to be motivated and committed to doing your absolute best. The more you’re motivated the better the result.”

Torkelson, who also maintains a 4.39 GPA in the classroom, draws a correlation to his favorite subject in the classroom by comparing math to playing wide receiver on the football field.

 “There’s a formula for every problem in math and for every play on every down during a game. But when something goes wrong – when the formula doesn’t work, especially when you’re in a test- you have to think and react on the fly. The same goes when an opponent does something different than what was on the game plan,” Torkelson said in a voice of confidence. “What matters is how you approach it – and how you change your plan to get the desired results.”

In addition to football, Torkelson also plays baseball and whenever time allows, grabs his golf clubs and goes to the local course but then hurries home to enjoy his favorite food while watching his favorite football player compete on the big screen TV at home.

“I enjoy watching Baker Mayfield play football. His savvy exudes confidence. It doesn’t matter the competition, how big the challenge, Baker gets the job done,” said Torkelson with a smile. “And for sure nothing tastes better than my mom’s ‘motchili’. It’s lasagna like that you just stab with your fork and eat it.”