By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

As part of a nationally ranked recruiting class that included a pair of Parade magazine All-Americans, linebacker Kris Micheaux came to Baylor in 1996 filled with high hopes and expectations.

Five years later, after two coaching changes and multiple roster turnovers, he left with a Baylor degree in hand but a record of just seven wins and 37 losses in the four seasons he played with the Bears.

"It's always hard to see teammates and friends leave, for whatever reasons," he said. "But through it all, even though we had high hopes and we didn't live up to all the expectations that were set for us, I wouldn't trade a moment. It was a good experience. It taught me a lot about character and perseverance."

A blue-chip linebacker out of Jersey Village, Texas, Micheaux fought through the team's lack of success on the field to become a four-year starter at middle linebacker. Fifteen years later, he still ranks fourth all-time at Baylor with 214 career solo tackles and fifth in total tackles with 351.

Micheaux, who will be honored during Saturday's game as a "Baylor Legend," said he has taken great pride in watching the Bears go to five consecutive bowl games and reach new heights under eighth-year head coach Art Briles.

"You can see that the teams he's coached since he's been here just seem to have confidence about themselves," Micheaux said. "You know that saying by John Maxwell, 'Everything rises and falls on leadership.' You can see it. They don't lose composure under pressure. They just seem to have confidence. And that's encouraging to me. I can walk around wearing my Baylor alumni shirts and proudly have conversations with people. It's exciting."

As consistent as they come, Micheaux tallied at least 72 tackles every year, capped off by a team-high 96 during a 2-9 senior season when he was named one of four team captains.

By that time, he had already graduated with a degree in education, paving the way for a coaching and teaching career.

"Now that I'm in the real world, my degree means something, and I can walk around with pride knowing that I graduated from Baylor University," he said. "There were no easy courses, so every semester I was challenged. I didn't really learn how to truly apply myself as a student until I got to Baylor. And even though the university was excelling academically, there was still patience in those classrooms to allow people to grow. You didn't get lost."

Jumping right into coaching, Kris spent one year at West (Texas) High School, one season as a grad assistant under former Baylor defensive coordinator Andy McCollum at Middle Tennessee and went to Tyler Junior College before realizing "I had to start making some real money."

After serving as an assistant at Royse City, Micheaux took his first head coaching job at Gonzales High School in 2007. He was also the head coach at Bay Area Christian and Houston Lee before joining the staff of former Baylor assistant Scott Smith at Rockwall High School in 2012.

"That was probably the most impactful experience I ever had as a coach," he said. "Coach Smith is probably the most structured individual I've ever been around. He held you to a higher standard, and it's the type of structure that I now base my life on. He used to always walk around the office and say, 'Football's just a microcosm of life. You've got to grasp it.'''

When Smith left after that year to become the offensive coordinator at Houston Baptist University, Micheaux decided to get out of coaching. He is now teaching at Flower Mound, Texas, and is working on a doctorate degree from Grand Canyon University.

"I have two little boys, and my wife kind of put it on the table: 'Hey, you've been raising everybody' else's kids, it's time for you to raise ours,''' he said. "So, I don't know if I ever will get back into coaching, just to be honest. I've got to maximize this time I have with my family right now. I'm just trying to focus on that. And if God opens that door again, I'll walk through it."

The 37-year-old Micheaux and his wife, Mandy, a 2000 Baylor graduate, have two sons, 5-year-old SirParker and 3-year-old Evan. The oldest son is named after former Texas A&M running back Sirr Parker.

"I can't specifically remember what year it was, but I remember tackling him and there was a big pile-up in the middle of the game," Kris said. "And you know the intensity of the game? I was in the middle of the pile and said, 'Hey, I'm going to name my son SirParker.' And he said, 'What?' So, I had to hold myself accountable after I made that statement."