Former football captain Japinga dies after bout with lung cancer

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Despite his short stature, former MSU defensive back Don Japinga could shut down any receiver.

“Everybody had to look up to him, in spite of the fact you had to look down to him,” said Steve Juday, Japinga’s former co-captain and a quarterback on the 1965 national champion football team.

“A darn-good defensive back he was. He was truly a team player.”

Japinga died Saturday at the age of 66 following a long battle with lung cancer.

Japinga’s son, Steven, said his father’s love for football lasted a lifetime. Steven Japinga said his father always talked about MSU to young people and never missed a football game.

“MSU was so big to him. He worked his butt off while he worked with the greats,” Steven Japinga said.

“He had this strong character that was built with his teammates and MSU in mind.”

Such character was recognized by former Spartan defensive end and NFL player Bubba Smith. He said Japinga demonstrated his experience as co-captain and an Academic All-American throughout games.

“Jap was a hell of a ball player — a smart ball player,” Smith said.

“What can you say about a guy who knows the game? He was never out of position.”

Juday and Japinga came to MSU as freshmen and eventually became roommates and co-captains. Although Japinga was a shorter man, Juday said it didn’t take much for people to notice him, as he was quite personable and talkative.

“There was absolutely no question to his work ethic and determination — he worked for every inch of success he received,” Juday said. “(As co-captains), it allowed us to become even closer as friends, very close as roommates — as close as close could be.”

Steven Japinga described his father as somebody who was larger than life and one who held his family close to heart.

Japinga’s phrase “fourth quarter guts” was something used frequently, even when he walked one of his daughters down the aisle on her wedding day.

“My dad was the type of person who put his family and friends first,” Steven Japinga said. “The ideal family man. (He) could light up a room. He was the definition of a Spartan warrior.”

Smith recently had spoken to Don Japinga’s brother, who told him Don Japinga had been doing fine while in the hospital, giving the occasional “thumbs up.” Smith didn’t worry about him, saying Don Japinga was a fighter.

“If you put three or four people together, you wouldn’t match the strength or character that Jap had,” Smith said.

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