Michigan State Bond with Flint, Michigan, Gets Tighter

The bond between Flint, Michigan, and the Michigan State Spartans has only grown tighter with the hiring by Mel Tucker of Courtney Hawkins.

East Lansing, MI— Michigan State Athletics and the city of Flint, Michigan, have a tight relationship that goes back many years. The type of bond that is formed over the years and not easily broken. When Mel Tucker

brought in Courtney Hawkins the legendary Spartan wide receiver to coach for the Spartans, that bond only got tighter.

While away in the NFL playing and upon his subsequent return to Flint Beecher High School as a coach and administrator, Hawkins never wavered. “Ever since I first stepped on campus back in 1988, ‘89, I’ve pretty much watched everything Michigan State does every day.

“The relationship with Flint has been awesome; you had the era with the Flintstones, and Coach Izzo still has a huge presence in the city of Flint, and when he comes to basketball games, that’s one of the buzzes around town.”

Hawkins said of the football program, “With Michigan State football, it’s a little bit the same way, with me being from the area, I’m hoping to have more of a presence. I know there’s some talent in the Flint area when it comes to football and definitely some great basketball players, but there are some guys that can flat out play football here in the area and surrounding areas,” Hawkins said. “I’m planning to open those doors up and getting those guys to Michigan State and being able to have that same kind of connection that the basketball program has to the area.”

The Spartans kick off the season on September 5, 2020. They will be hosting in the Northwestern Wildcats with a rare, season-opening Big Ten game.

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