John Van Dam & Cole Malatinsky are great pictures of what being a Spartan is all about!

The mood at Tuesday’s practice was light, with laughter and smiles all around as the Spartan football team winds down its regular season. The team has had

The mood at Tuesday’s practice was light, with laughter and smiles all around as the Spartan football team winds down its regular season. The team has had great practices lately, and both the players and the coaches were in good spirits. And I felt they deserved to be. According to the coaches, the team has week after week of great practices. The Spartans are ready to finish this season strong and hope for a Bowl Game somewhere warm. At the end of the season we reflect on the progress of the team, and I think the attitude is right under Mark Dantonio. Amongst the faces of players I usually see on a regular basis, there were two fresh faces hanging around the media after practice. Seniors John Van Dam and Cole Malatinsky wandered over to me with smiles on their faces.

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Behind every great player, whether Javon Ringer or Devin Thomas, you will find players like Cole and Van Dam. They might not hit the field on Saturday, but they are one of the most integral parts of the machine. They are at practice every day putting their bodies through punishment on the scout teams for the sake of the team. They are the glue that has held this team together through coaching changes, negative press, and turbulent seasons. Although they may not see any playing time, these guys are giving their all day in and day out at practice, busting their tails for the love of the game and to help this program improve. They embody the spirit of what it means to be a Spartan.

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As I stated before it was a light mood this week at practice during this final week. All the players I had interviewed were excited for the game this week and very talkative!  Even John Van Dam was patient while I struggled with bad microphone levels. Both Cole and John have not attended any media pressers that I have been involved with, so they were grateful to be featured for the news. Being a quarterback, Van Dam is probably quite used to the attention that a high profile position entails. In his interview with me he was calm, poised, and spoke like he had done this a thousand times. And then there was Cole Malatinsky. “I never get to talk to media,” he said. “I don’t know what to say.”

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This made me stop and think. Here’s a guy that has been working hard for five years, pushing himself to physical limits, mentally determined to be a Spartan. He’s the Rudy of your team, the guy that never quit when people told him he couldn’t succeed. And now, here in his final week of practice, is nervous to talk to someone like me. I thought about all of the players I had interviewed this season, and if any of them had felt this sort of excitement and pride to be recognized as a Spartan athlete. Cole was so happy to be requested for an interview from the media that he literally drew a blank. I gave him a moment to think about what he wanted to say until he was ready. He told me what it meant for him to be a Spartan. He talked about the practices, the highs and lows, and dressing for games. This kind of passion and drive is what makes these guys great. He may not get to play many downs, but any coach should be proud to have a team full of players like him.