| Michael Tanks |
Full Name: Michael Tanks
Born: August 4, 1967
Died: August 3, 2016, Atlanta, Ga.
School: Southwest Dekalb High School in Decatur, Georgia
Legacy Bricks: Legacy Walk Map Link
1989 Football AA - Loc 2
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| Click On Photo To Enlarge |
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| Front: MICHAEL TANKS Back: Tony Yeomans, P.T. Willis, John Brown |
| FSU Career |
| Football | |
Year No Pos Hgt Wgt Cl Ltr Hometown 1985 31 LB 6-3 240 Fr Decatur, GA 1986 68 OG 6-3 237 Fr-R * Decatur, GA 1987 68 C 6-2 250 So-R * Decatur, GA 1988 68 C 6-1 254 Jr-R * Decatur, GA 1989 68 C 6-1 254 Sr-R * Decatur, GA |
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| Comments |
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Center from Decatur, Ga...four-year letterman and two-year +
starter...called the line sets...had a break-out senior campaign...in 1989
was an Outland Trophy finalist, earned 1st Team All-South Independent, 1st
Team All-American from the Associated Press and the Football Writers
Association, 2nd Team from UPI and Honorable Mention from The Sporting
News...Tanks died in 2016. Former FSU center Michael Tanks dies  By Jim Henry,
Democrat sports editor, August 4, 2016Michael Tanks may not have been the strongest player on Florida State’s offensive line. He may not have been the quickest. But the sturdy center from Decatur, Georgia, may have had the best technique. “I never saw him get beat on pass protection,” former Seminole offensive lineman and teammate Tony Yeomans said Thursday. “He was a great technician, a guy who simply refused to get beat. He had great hands and feet, a real competitor. This really hurts. He is going to be missed.” Tanks, a first-team All-American as a senior in 1989 who returned to his prep alma mater at SW Dekalb High to coach football, died Wednesday - a day before his birthday - after suffering a stroke July 25. He was 48. SW Dekalb High Athletic Director Kathy Walton said the school is “devastated” by Tanks’ death. Tanks, the team’s head football coach and a 1985 SWD graduate, was preparing his team for their Aug. 20 season opener against Redan. Tanks was at home when he suffered the stroke and had been listed in critical condition and on a ventilator at Grady Hospital, according to reports. Tanks was married with two children. “He was extremely well-loved by everyone here,” Walton said Thursday. “The first impression with him was he was so genuine. He was so easy to get along with and he really cared about the kids and the parents. It’s very devastating because it was so unexpected. And he may have had his best team this season.” Tanks played defensive line and tight end at SWD, helping the team to an undefeated season in 1984. Following a redshirt season in 1985 at FSU, Tanks was moved from linebacker to offensive line. The 6-foot-1, 250-pounder developed into a key contributor for the Seminoles as a four-year letterman and two-year starter at center. Tanks enjoyed a breakout senior season, calling the line sets and earning All-America status. He also was an Outland Trophy finalist, given to college football’s top interior lineman. Tanks signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks but did not make the team. “He was one of my closest friends, I considered him my brother,” said former FSU teammate and NFL player Dedrick Dodge, who resides in Atlanta. “The way it happened and how it happened so fast, you feel like you were just talking to someone and then they are not here. That’s why it’s important for everybody, if you love somebody, tell them. You see how valuable life is and how short it can be.” Former Seminole and NFL linebacker Jesse Solomon, through his Athletes Care Association, Inc., has set up a page to help raise donations for the Tanks family.
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| Conference Awards |
| Football |
Year Award 1989 All-South Independent - 1st Team |
| All-American Awards |
| Football |
Year Award
1989 Associated Press - 1st Team All-American
Football Writers Association - 1st Team All-American
United Press International - 2nd Team All-American
The Sporting News - All-American - Honorable Mention
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| FSU Statistics |
| Football |
Season Statistics
Defense
| Tackles | Sacks | Fumble | Pass Defense | Blkd | PAT Attempts | | | |
Year GP | ua a Tot tfl-yds | no-yds | ff fr-yds-td | int-yds-td qbh brup | kick | kick rsh rcv | fg | saf dxp | td | pts
---------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
1985 | 0 0 0 0.0- | 0.0- | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
1986 4 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
1987 11 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
1988 5 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
1989 11 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
---------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Tot 31 | 0 0 0 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
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Offense/Kick and Punt Returns
| Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | all
Year GP | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | cmp- att-int yds td lg | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | purp
---------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
1985 | 0 0.0 | 0.0 | - - | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1986 4 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
1987 11 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
1988 5 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
1989 11 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0 - 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
---------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Tot 31 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
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| Football |
Game Participation
| Starts
1986 | GP Off Def
----------------------------|--------------
Sep 20 North Carolina | 1
Nov 8 South Carolina | 1
Nov 15 Southern Mississippi | 1
Nov 29 Florida | 1
Dec 31 Indiana | 1
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 5 0 0
| Starts
1987 | GP Off Def
----------------------------|--------------
Sep 5 Texas Tech | 1
Sep 12 East Carolina | 1
Sep 19 Memphis State | 1
Sep 26 Michigan State | 1
Oct 3 Miami | 1
Oct 10 Southern Mississippi | 1
Oct 17 Louisville | 1
Oct 31 Tulane | 1
Nov 7 Auburn | 1
Nov 14 Furman | 1
Nov 28 Florida | 1
Jan 1 Nebraska | 1
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 12 0 0
| Starts
1988 | GP Off Def
----------------------------|--------------
Sep 3 Miami | 1
Sep 24 Michigan State | 1
Oct 1 Tulane | 1
Nov 12 Virginia Tech | 1 C
Nov 26 Florida | 1 C
Jan 2 Auburn | 1 C
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 6 3 0
| Starts
1989 | GP Off Def
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Sep 2 Southern Mississippi | 1 C
Sep 9 Clemson | 1 C
Sep 16 Louisiana State | 1 C
Sep 23 Tulane | 1 C
Oct 7 Syracuse | 1 C
Oct 14 Virginia Tech | 1 C
Oct 21 Auburn | 1 C
Oct 28 Miami | 1 C
Nov 4 South Carolina | 1 C
Nov 18 Memphis State | 1 C
Dec 2 Florida | 1 C
Jan 1 Nebraska | 1 C
----------------------------|--------------
Tot | 12 12 0
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Career Tot | 35 15 0
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| Football |
Game Statistics
| Tackles | Sacks | Fumble | Pass Defense | Blkd | PAT Attempts | | | |
1987 | ua a Tot tfl-yds | no-yds | ff fr-yds-td | int-yds-td qbh brup | kick | kick rsh rcv | fg | saf dxp | td | pts
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Sep 12 East Carolina | 1 0 1 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
----------------------------|----------------------|----------|--------------|---------------------|------|-----------------|--------|---------|----|----
Tot | 1 0 1 0.0- 0 | 0.0- 0 | 0 0- 0- 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 | 0- 0 0 0 | 0- 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 0
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| Rushing | Receiving | Passing | Kick Returns | Punt Returns | all
1987 | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | cmp- att-int yds td lg | no yds avg td lg | no yds avg td lg | purp
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Sep 12 East Carolina | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | - 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 | 0 0 0.0 0 |
----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----
Tot | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0- 0- 0 0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 0
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