GB native drafted to NFL by Colts

Another son of the soil has made it to the pros. Wide receiver Mike Strachan, 23, a native of Grand Bahama, was snagged by the Indianapolis Colts during the 2021 NFL Draft on Saturday.

Strachan, who attended St. Georges High School, transferred to Liberty Christian Academy (LCA) in Lynchburg, Virginia back in 2013, hoping for an opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing American football and making it to the NFL.

He became a noted athlete in both the school’s football and track & field programmes. His passion for the game and his skill earned him a football scholarship, and following his graduation from LCA, Strachan went on to attend the University of Charleston in West Virginia where his star power at the wide receiver position shined even brighter.

Dubbed “Big Mike” by some of his peers, Strachan, at 6 ft tall and 226 pounds, put up monster numbers at Charleston, catching 127 passes for 2,332 yards with 27 touchdowns in three seasons. He also posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019 and was on his way to making more of an impact before the COVID-19 pandemic brought an abrupt halt to Charleston’s 2020 season.

It should be noted that Strachan was also a member of Charleston's track & field team, winning conference championships in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and the 4x400 meter relay. He holds the school record for the 400m dash and had hopes of making it to the 2020 Olympics before COVID-19 put a damper on that as well. At his Pro Day he ran a 4.50 40-yard dash.

The Colts used the first of two seventh-round picks to scoop Strachan up. Strachan, now the latest Bahamian-born pro-baller, reports to the Colts today.