SPARTAN NATION EXCLUSIVE: MSU QB Andrew Maxwell Talks Spring Game, Jack Conklin, Riley Bullough, Youth Clinic & More!

SPARTANÂ NATION EXCLUSIVE: MSU QB Andrew Maxwell Talks Spring Game, Jack Conklin, Riley Bullough, Youth Clinic & More! Q: Well Andrew, your last spring game.

SPARTAN NATION EXCLUSIVE: MSU QB Andrew Maxwell Talks Spring Game, Jack Conklin, Riley Bullough, Youth Clinic & More!

Q: Well Andrew, your last spring game. Has it hit you yet?

A: I think a little bit. I keep asking, Is this my 3rd. No it’s my 4th spring. It’s crazy how fast time flies. I’m excited for it. I haven’t won a spring game yet. Last year I didn’t play, and the two I did play I lost. So I’m hoping to go out and get a victory.

Q: Are you getting tired of beans and franks?

A: Yeah, a steak dinner would be nice.

Q: Especially if Dantonio’s paying.

A: Yeah, for sure.

Q: What’d you think of your white team?

A: I’m very pleased with it. As a quarterback it’s always fun to just kinda see the different perspectives of the players because everybody’s kinda looking for something different. As a quarterback, if I went in thinking, If I could get a good solid offensive line that’s gonna really make me feel comfortable. I feel like we got 3 starters. We have a guy who could very well be starting for us in Jack Conklin. You look all across the board, we have good wide receivers, good defensive backs. I’m hoping for production.

Q: You mentioned Conklin. Yesterday, Shilique said he thinks he’s your best offensive lineman. What has Jack done from a walk-on originally to where he is now?

A: He’s a guy who’s really growing into his body. He’s a young kid. He came in, I think he was 17, so he was young for his grade, always had good size, extremely athletic. He’s just a guy who all he’s done since he’s got here is improve. He’s athletic, he stays in front of guys, he uses his hands well, he’s strong at the point of attack, he’s got a lot of pop when he brings his hips through a block. So he’s a guy who I’ve started to feel more and more comfortable with and have a lot of confidence in.

Q: Your faith is who you are. Football is what you do. You got a chance to go overseas and minister after last season. What did that mean to you?

A: It was a once in a lifetime experience that I couldn’t turn down. Phil Gillespie gave me the opportunity to go on this trip. It was really awesome to see how the Lord showed up and provided for us. We spent a lot of our time just kind of building in to the athletic ministry in Johannesburg. So we met with a lot of teams. We met with soccer teams, rugby teams. We looked at it and we said if we can affect, truly affect, one person one each of these teams, to further their relationship with Christ, have them grow deeper with Christ, we would consider that a success. Because we’re gonna trust God from there, we’re gonna trust Him to see how He uses that person on their team. And who knows where that can take us. That was an opportunity that the Lord provided that I couldn’t turn down and was really pleased with.

Q: Do you find that when you minister to other people you grow deeper in your relationship because you’re giving?

A: Yeah. I certainly went through a lot of serving. Jesus in His last address ever before He ascended back into heaven, He could have said anything, but He said, Go and make disciples of all nations. So His last time talking to people He could say anything. It’s probably the most important thing He could say. He said, Go make disciples. We took that literally and we literally went to another nation and tried to go make disciples.

Q: Last year you were asked about, could this team not go to a bowl and still be a successful year? You talked about your faith and how your highs and lows are not determined by football. Some people misunderstood that. I want to tell you what I’ve said and you tell me if I’m wrong. I said, Andrew’s one of the most competitive people I know. It hurts when he loses. But what he’s saying is it’s not life and death. When I clarify your point, am I speaking properly?

A: Yeah, and that’s something that after I said it I realized that it might get taken the wrong way. One of the most popular verse in the Bible is Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And I think that gets taken out of context. I think that gets taken out of context a lot and I think people take that to mean… It’s almost like a rabbit’s foot, like I can do anything. I’m gonna be successful because I have Jesus. That’s not necessarily true. What that verse is saying, if you read that verse before it, Paul is saying how he’s learned the secret of facing all the highs and lows, all the good times and bad, and that he can be content in his heart because he has Jesus. I’m gonna be as competitive as I can be. That’s the nature of the business; I’m gonna be very competitive and I’m gonna fight tooth and nail to win every game. But if we go 14-0 in National Championships, or if we go 3-9, I am striving for my faith to be so solidified in Jesus Christ that my heart is gonna be the same no matter what. So when I was asked that question, that was what I was getting at. My heart is gonna be the same because my identity is with Jesus, it’s not in football. Those highs and lows in football are not going to affect my eternal joy.

Q: You love the Youth Clinic. You love it, you feed off it… You’re the quarterback, you know how that works. You’re gonna get too much credit and too much blame. When you see those kids come running and they know your name and they’re hugging on you, what does that mean to you? Because they don’t care about wins or losses, they don’t know. They just see Andrew.

A: Yeah. I just think back to when I was that age and when I was see players. I grew up in Midland, Northwood University there, so even when I’m 8 years old and I see the Northwood players, I’d get a little star struck. So I just kinda put myself in their shoes and think what a thrill for them to just kinda get around us…the joy that they have to be around us…the joy that they have to be around the game… It really means a lot to me. It really speaks a lot. It may look like we’re giving back to the kids but they’re giving back to us.

Q: Two questions then I‘ll let you go. What does Brad Salem bring as a quarterback coach. This is not a slam on Dave Warner, but just what does he bring different that you like?

A: Well, you look at Coach Warner and Coach Salem and they’re two different styles. Coach Salem, in the classroom, he’s more of a teacher. He’s more of a concept guy. He’s more of a big picture guy. He’s a little more soft spoken, speaks a little slower. It’s a chance of pace and I think it’s brought a freshness to our room. He’s a person that I really admire. His faith is also very strong so we can connect on that level. He’s a guy I’ve really enjoyed having in the room and have enjoyed being my coach.

Q: Talking to all your teammates…it’s not one, it’s talking to 20-25 teammates. They all talk about the energy that Riley brings, that you can feel it; offensive players and defensive players. When he’s in the backfield the energy level: A) Do you sense it and B) If you do, what is it?

A: Well, he’s a Bullough. I think Bullough rhymes with energy. I think position change causes an excitement in guys. It’s kind of like when coaches change positions and it brings a freshness to the room. When a player gets to change positions I think it’s something new, I think it’s something exciting. And I think that’s what he’s feeling right now. He probably hasn’t carried the ball since high school. He’s a guy who’s confident in his ability to get us 5, 6, 7 yards when he runs the football. So we’ve really enjoyed having him on our side of the ball and are looking forward to seeing where it goes.