David Michaelson never got pushed around when he ruled the paint for the Ashland High boys basketball team in the mid-1980s.
At 6-foot-7 and more than 200 pounds, he more than held his own around the basket, helping the Grizzlies to back-to-back Southern Oregon Conference championships and, in 1986, a fourth-place finish at the Class 4A state tournament.
Michaelson's toughness has come in handy working the streets of Portland, where he's been a cop for the past eight years.
Last September, he and two fellow officers were attacked by seven thugs in downtown Portland.
"We were off-duty, but some guys that we had dealt with jumped us," Michaelson, 38, says. "We were out-numbered by quite a bit."
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"It wasn't that bad," he says, sounding like a typical man in blue. "Some muscles got torn, but it didn't puncture a lung or anything. My rib cage did what it was supposed to do — it protected my heart and lung."
Michaelson, who was promoted to sergeant eight months ago, never thought about leaving law enforcement following the attack.
"If you do that, then the bad guys win," he explains. "I like being a cop. We have our bad days, but also a lot of good ones, and people appreciate what we do."
Michaelson rarely allowed his adversaries to win on the hardwood, either. Ashland posted a combined conference record of 31-1 during his junior and senior seasons as the Grizzlies routinely beat up on the SOC's bigger schools. Back then, a Grizzly hoop ticket was a prized possession as fans jammed into the Mountain Avenue gym.
"The best part about the experience was the closeness of the team and the way the entire town supported us," says Michaelson, who teamed with league MVP Rob Fellows in 1985-86 to form what might have been the best center-guard combination in the state.
Michaelson played for Jerry Hauck, a coach that allowed his players considerable freedom on the court but could carry a big stick at practice.
"He was tough, but also fair," Michaelson says. "He made us run anytime someone cussed on the court. I kind of had a bad habit of that back then, but I got our team in shape."
Michaelson earned a basketball scholarship to Pacific University in Stockton, Calif., but stayed for only one year before transferring to Southern Oregon University, where he played for Pete Barry.
"At Pacific, basketball got to be more of a job than a game," he says. "It was more fun at Southern Oregon. Pete (Barry) kept things in perspective."
Michaelson obtained a degree in criminology, but didn't put it to use for several years while spending time in Mexico and Hawaii and then serving four years in the Navy. He moved to Portland in 1997 and hooked on with the Portland Police Department two years later.
These days, while he's not on duty, Michaelson keeps in shape running and lifting weights. He can't remember the last time he played basketball, but, rest assured, he still knows how to shoot.
Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail dhunt@mailtribune.com
