Players' actions disgrace MSU

Dan Faas

I have a confession to make. For this week’s column, I originally penned a pretty scathing and sarcastic piece directed at the MSU administration, law enforcement officials and athletic departments for what I considered to be an obstinate denial to release any information regarding the assault that occurred Nov. 22 in Rather Hall.

For the past week, bits and pieces have surfaced regarding the incident. On Nov. 24, sophomore running back Glenn Winston and junior safety Roderick Jenrette were dismissed from the team for a vague “violation of team rules,” leading me and most other people to believe that Winston and Jenrette were directly involved in the scuffle.

My column demanded facts, and I was ready to crucify the MSU administration for their negligence and complete disregard for disseminating information responsibly.

Then I got the press release. And it blew. Me. Away.

According to the update distributed by University Relations, it wasn’t just Winston and Jenrette who were at fault, but eight other players — B.J. Cunningham, Mark Dell, Ashton Leggett, Chris L. Rucker, Fred Smith, Brynden Trawick, Ishmyl Johnson and Jamiihr Williams. All of the players have been suspended. MSU police still are attempting to identify five more suspects.

To put it bluntly, I am surprised.

I am surprised that so many MSU football players — six of them starters — thought they could get away with assaulting other students at their university, and that they didn’t think their actions would come back to bite them.

I am surprised, given the reports, they thought wearing ski masks would be enough to disguise their physiques — physiques that are profiled and examined every Saturday on national television.

I am surprised that some of these players were more concerned with engaging in a fracas than a football game. I find it hard to believe that they potentially could throw out everything they and their teammates fought so hard for all season — a bowl game, essentially — for one night of aggression.

I am surprised head coach Mark Dantonio could allow Winston back on the team after he hospitalized MSU hockey player and junior defenseman A.J. Sturges last year, and I’m even more surprised there are no guidelines or rules that prevented a criminal from being reinstated to the team hours after his release from prison.

I won’t pretend to know what motivated these players to act how they did, but I do know their actions are inexcusable, regardless of their rationale. I don’t know the charges, but I do know if it’s proved that these men engaged in criminal behavior, they should be punished.

My fury, once directed toward the MSU administration, is now multiplied and directed solely at these players. I’m ashamed to have rooted for these guys every Saturday. I’m ashamed to have a poster of some of them in my room. And today, I’m even ashamed to wear green and white.

I still have a lot of respect for the MSU football team. I still have the greatest admiration for Kirk Cousins and Blair White, and I believe the MSU football program still can be one of integrity.

But I can’t help but feel betrayed by those who engaged in the scuffle at Rather Hall, and I am really beginning to see how the stupid actions of a few can spoil things for so many.

I was really looking forward to the Spartans having a great football season this year. As we all know, it was lackluster at best. But I never imagined that the actions of these athletes — many of whom I once admired for their dedication and athletic prowess — could completely tarnish the reputation of the entire MSU football program in one fell swoop.

This is about more than winning a bowl game. This is about representing your sport, school and student body with integrity and virtue. Regardless of whether or not Dantonio was considering next year a “rebuilding” year, it certainly is now. It’ll be a year for rebuilding the reputation of this school’s football program from the ground up. Dantonio will have to rebuild his team from one full of lawbreakers to one of leaders. Although it was a minority of the team that committed these crimes, these 10 members have, for a short while, made me ashamed of being a Spartan.

They have, literally and figuratively, given this university a black eye.

Dan Faas is the State News opinion writer. Reach him at faasdani@msu.edu.