Max Michel can vividly remember an experience he had years ago outside of a Pizza Hut in his hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey.
A homeless man standing outside of the chain restaurant was asking for something, but not food or money.
“He would inquire for books, so I would take books from my house and bring him books to read,” Michel said. “I wanted to help people like that and be around and be an ear to listen.”
Now in his sixth and final season at UB, Michel’s time here will be remembered just as much for what he did on the field as he did off it.
Giving back is something that Michel started doing at a young age thanks to the influence of his mother, who ran a daycare center that helped serve underprivileged kids in New Jersey.
“I think what led me to see how much she was helping was the way the kid’s faces would light up,” Michel said, remembering the trips to beaches and museums that he and his mother took the kids on.
Being a positive influence comes naturally to Michel. Michel’s twin brother Harry suffers from autism, making it hard for him to be away from home.
Harry and the rest of Michel’s family were able to make it to Buffalo last week for Michel’s senior night against Bowling Green — which also happened to be on the two brothers’ 25th birthday.
“I try to call him once a week and just talk about life and how he’s doing,” Michel said. “You just want to be there to help… to someone with a disability, you’re a big impact, you’re a big influence.”
But like many athletes, Michel sometimes struggles with balancing life, family commitments and football. After suffering a season-ending injury during the 2021 season, Michel struggled to find who he was outside of football.
Finding things that defined him outside of his sport helped Michel cope with being away from the team.
Michel and his former teammate Jovany Ruiz formed a nonprofit organization called Sport of Life, which helps athletes who deal with the same issues that they did: finding their true identity outside of their sport.
Outside of Sport of Life, Michel has been active in countless other charitable acts in the Buffalo area: Running a coat drive for the past two years at the Buffalo City Mission, distributing groceries on Buffalo’s East Side, coordinating a movie night for kids with disabilities and working with Harvest House to support underprivileged residents of South Buffalo are just some of the many ways that Michel has directly impacted the local community.
“I think Buffalo is different than any place I’ve ever been. It’s just love,” Michel said. “[It’s called] ‘City of Good Neighbors’ for a reason.”
Being able to get many of his teammates involved in getting into the community and giving back is something that Michel takes pride in.
“I think everyone has that inkling in them to help, so it’s just about bringing that out,” Michel said. “A lot of guys start to inquire and ask more about how they can get involved and do more things… and that’s just what I want.”
As the end of his final season at UB approaches, Michel’s dream is to make it to the NFL. The 25-year-old doesn’t plan to stop making a big difference off the field.
“I want to leave an imprint, leave an impact here when I leave,” Michel said.
Brandon Cochi is the senior sports editor and can be reached at brandon.cochi@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
