Best Drew Stanton story you’ll read this preseason & more great LSJ MSU coverage
Today is a banner day for Spartans coverage from the Lansing State Journal. The last time anyone ran this many MSU stories was probably the Final Four last March. Hats off to the Journal…it’s time to get excited for football season.
First off is an excellent story on Drew Stanton by Joe Rexrode. You’ve probably read many other stories about Michigan State’s star QB heading into this season but this one is our favorite yet. Several unique topics are mentioned including Stanton’s star status, how he’s dealing with the pressure, and his feelings about Michigan after UM fans cheered his injury during last season’s game. A must read story.
He has played 10 games at quarterback for MSU, five full ones, yet he has already ascended to a level of stardom reached by perhaps a handful of Spartans in the past 40 years. He has heard the word - “savior” - many times and understands the tremendous burden it portends.
Does it weigh on him? If so, he isn’t telling.
“My parents are worried about that, and how I’m doing with it,” said Stanton, a junior captain. “My dad asked me if any of that was bothering me, and I said, ‘That’s the reason I came to MSU, because I wanted to be part of this program coming back.’
Todd Schultz takes a look at the state of John L. Smith’s rebuilding job of the MSU program and what materials will be needed to create a successful season.
As you can see, third-year coach John L. Smith has a bit of a construction project under way. He’s made some headway. Put together a high-powered offense, patched up some damaged psyches and pulled a few memorable upsets.
Just the same, Smith’s creation seems a bit wobbly at this point. There have been some unsettling creaks and groans that make us wonder if the whole darned thing won’t come crashing down at any moment.
Full story
They also feature a Q&A style interview with the Spartans’ head coach. John L. Smith covering a variety of topics, from his childhood in Idaho to his thoughts on coaching in the NFL.
Q. Would you like to coach in the NFL?
A. I’ve never had an aspiration of going to the NFL. I’ve never thought that’s where I wanted to be. People talk about the big time; I’ve always believed the big time is where you are. So, regardless of what level I’ve coached on, I’ve always been in the big time.
Jon Malavolti has a nice Q&A style interview with new Spartans running backs coach Ben Sirmans who held that same job at Kent State for the last five years.
Coming from Kent State, have you been able to help the team prepare?
Somewhat. Most of the stuff I’ve helped with is more personnel, like who people are, and give them that general idea of things we see on tape.
I come from the offensive side of the ball and they were in a transformation. (They) probably changed a lot of the things that they did last year.
Also, Matthew Miller of the Journal peers into the glamorous lives of MSU’s new luxury suite owners and how excited local businesses are about the suites’ amenities and potential to impress.
“It’s first class,” said Robert Gerbel, president of Gerbel & Company, a St. Joseph accounting firm. “If you want to impress a client or business associate, this is the way to do it.”
Gerbel went in with four friends and business associates to sign a three-year lease on a 12-seat suite. The cost: $60,000 each season.
But he won’t be impressing any clients at Michigan State University’s season opener against Kent State on Saturday. Instead, he’ll be taking two grandchildren, who have been lobbying for a spot all year.
As if that weren’t enough, the LSJ has a position by position breakdown of MSU’s entire team with full length stories for each position: