Michigan State Tight Ends Coach Brian Wozniak Reflects on Playing the Spartans

Michigan State tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Wozniak was part of a great 2010s rivalry with the Spartans during his years as a tight end at Wisconsin.

New Michigan State tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Wozniak was quite familiar with the Spartans' football program long before he joined the staff this offseason.

Wozniak, who came over with Coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State, spent five years at Wisconsin, where he played tight end from 2010 to 2013-14 after redshirting his 2009 season.

The new Spartans coach was actually close to playing his college career at Michigan State, but then coach Mark Dantonio went a different direction.

"I remember them [the Spartans] all too well," Wozniak told reporters on Thursday. "This was one of my first visits in the recruiting process. And I remember being called in Coach Dantonio’s office. When he was at Cincinnati, he lived in a nearby town, and I was all excited.

“They ended up taking Dion Sims, who was a pretty good tight end for you guys, so I don’t blame him on that. And then, obviously, the college experience -- the games, the battles against Michigan State, I try to forget just because they're so painful. I mean, it was like one of the teams -- I remember we had a losing record against them for like four or five years at the University of Wisconsin, so I remember a lot about this place.

"Dang good teams, tough teams, blue collar teams, kind of right up our alley."

Wozniak played the Spartans four times in an era where Michigan State and Wisconsin developed a rivalry as two of the conference's top teams.

"Really, the one year, Michigan State won on a Hail Mary -- that was a killer," Wozniak said. "We actually lost on two Hail Marys in back-to-back weeks that year. And then, playing them in the inaugural Big Ten championship, it was just a battle.

"Like, those were awesome, right? Those were Big Ten games. What it's all about. And this place was rolling."

Wozniak played 47 games for the Badgers, making 21 starts in his last two seasons with the program. He finished his college career with 127 yards and four touchdowns on 15 receptions. He would sign with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent in 2014 but was waived that August.

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