The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Euclid’s Preston was All-American in college
Euclid graduate and receiver Mike Preston, who had an All-American season at Heidelberg in 2010, is No. 10 on our list of the 25 best individual seasons for area players in the last 25 years.
The News-Herald is ranking the 25 best individual football seasons — high school, college or pro — for area players from the last 25 years. PLAYER » Mike Preston N-H RANKING » 10 YEAR » 2010 COLLEGE » Heidelberg HIGH SCHOOL » Euclid WHY HE’S RANKED » Seasons by a wide receiver don’t get much more dominant than Preston’s when he was a senior at Heidelberg College in 2010. Preston arrived at the Division III college from Euclid High School about 6-feet tall. Four years later, he was 6-foot-6, and a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses in the Ohio Athletic Conference. When his senior season was complete, Preston was a firstteam D-III All-America pick by the American Football Coaches Association. THE SKINNY » Preston finished the 2010 season the same way he started — by being dominant the entire way. In 10 games, he had 76 receptions for 1,213 yards and 15 touchdowns. The next closest receiver on his team had 15 catches. Opposing defenses put all their focus on Preston, but it didn’t matter. He continued to produce. THEY SAID IT » “For me, all of this, especially the start
of this season, has been storybook. It’s always been a dream to play this well. I never doubted myself. I knew I could do it if I had the opportunity.” — Preston in 2010
“The smartest thing Mike ever did was bring his mother on his recruiting trip. I remember his mom being tall and lean. I thought, ‘Maybe we have something here.’ Still, Mike looked like a bag of pencils at first.” — Former Heidelberg coach Mike Hallett
“We look pretty smart, but there’s no way we could have ever envisioned what Mike is doing now.” Hallett on Preston in 2010
“Mike has the unique combination of size and speed. He is a difficult matchup for any defense because they do a great job of moving him all over the place.” — Former Otterbein coach and Riverside graduate Joe Loth after Preston had 15 catches for 210 yards and two TDs against Ottterbein in 2010 WHERE IS HE NOW? » Preston, 28, is a wide receiver for the Gladiators this season, and through nine games is second on the team in receptions (64), receiving yards (706) and TD receptions (13). Following graduation from Heidelberg, he was signed by the Titans in 2011 as an undrafted free agent. He was released by the Titans in 2014, then spent time in the Arena and Canadian Leagues before a stint with the Dolphins in 2015. He signed with the Gladiators on March 21.