Mike Spiegel

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- No one could blame Mike Spiegel if he were bitter. But he's not.

Instead, the Lee's Summit native is doing all he can to make sure his senior season with the Central Missouri State football squad is the sweetest ever. The 6-1, 195-pounder is remaking himself into the ultimate utility man, the Mules' version of Slash.

For three seasons, Spiegel battled hard to win the starting quarterback position. Even when he was named the starter, the position was tenuous at best.

Entering the 2005 season, Spiegel was no. 1 on the Mules' depth chart, but it soon became apparent that newcomer Toby Korrodi was destined for that role. Spiegel was back on the bench.

He wouldn't be there long.

CMSU senior Mike Spiegel is now on the receiving end of passes. The former quarterback is taking on many roles, including wide receiver, for the Mules this season. (Photo by Dave Kopp)

"After Toby had started two or three games, we felt we were wasting Mike's ability," explained Mules' head coach Willie Fritz. "He's a tremendous athlete, so we talked to him about moving to wide receiver."

Spiegel was only too happy to oblige.

"After the Truman game when Toby established that he was the starter, I was kind of down because I knew I wasn't going to get much of a shot to play any more," Spiegel explained. "I went to Coach (Jeff) Conway and told him all I wanted to do was play, regardless of where it's at. The next day, he pulled me in his office and told me they were going to let me play at wideout."

"Mike is for the team first and for himself second," added Fritz. "He got out there and found he really liked it. It took a little bit because he played quarterback for so long, but he's a tall guy, he's got good speed and has good change of direction. It's a good move for him."

Learning on the go, Spiegel continued to fill the role of backup quarterback while also working at wide receiver for the remainder of the season. The practice continued during spring workouts in April and, again, when the team reported to camp two weeks ago.

(Photo by Dave Kopp)

"It's been a big transition," Spiegel acknowledged. "You're used to having the ball and being part of every play. Now, at wideout, you're part of every play, but in a different way. You might be asked to block somebody, run just a runoff route to open up something else or you might get the ball. It's a lot different from quarterback where you're kind of directing everything."

And, there are other differences.

"It's a lot more physical," Spiegel said. "At quarterback, you don't ever get hit in practice. Now, you're not only getting hit, you're required to hit other people. That's probably the biggest adjustment."

Essentially, putting a second quarterback on the field gives the Mules' offense a lot of options. Fritz noted that Spiegel is perfect for that role.

(Photo by Dave Kopp)

"He really understands the offense," Fritz said. "He knows all the receiver positions, where they need to line up and the adjustments they need to make against certain coverages. He's got good hands, he's a big guy, he's got good strength, good speed, runs very good routes and is very intelligent. I think he's just going to get better and better throughout the course of the year."

"It's a huge advantage for me," added Spiegel. "A lot of our players, they know their position. I know all the routes and I understand schemes. While some people might improvise on their routes, I know you've got to stick to it because somebody else might come open."

Having a compatriot as one of his receivers is also a huge advantage for the man who supplanted Speigel at quarterback, Toby Korrodi.

Mules' senior Mike Spiegel has held for CMSU place kickers since his freshman season. (Photo by Dave Kopp)

"What's good about that is if we have a miscommunication or we have someone who's not sure of his route, Mike can tell him right then and there," Korrodi said. "He doesn't need a signal or to look at me. Mike can tell him and not give anything away. He knows what each play means and where we're trying to go with that play. That really helps out."

This preseason, Spiegel has not only been working at quarterback and wide receiver, he's also involved in special teams. At Wednesday's practice, Spiegel was virtually everywhere, working with the kickoff team, the kickoff return team and the punt return/block team.

He's also entering his fourth season as the holder for the Mules' place kickers. The only unit he isn't practicing with is the Mules' defense.

Among the duties being taken on by Central Missouri's Mike Spiegel (1) this season is blocking on kickoff returns. (Photo by Dave Kopp)

"Once I got here (CMSU), I just wanted to play," Spiegel said. "A couple years ago, they had me repping at special teams. If that's how I get on the field, I'm willing. And if we're winning and I get to play, I can't argue with that."

If the Mules are winning, chances are Mike "Slash" Spiegel will play a key role in that success.