DE Jalen Thompson Gives His Perspective on Michigan State-Michigan
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Michigan State defensive end Jalen Thompson is one of the players who knows this rivalry against Michigan the best. He's from Detroit and has appeared in two games against the Wolverines already.
On Wednesday, Thompson offered his perspective on what the rivalry means to him, both as a player and as somebody who is from the state and sees how the result impacts things.
"It means everything," Thompson said. "Like Mark Dantonio once said, Kirk Cousins once said, 'The winner of this game is allowed to walk the streets, and the loser is going to be the one to walk the alley.'"
That quote and the full video of Thompson's press conference can be found below.
Watch Jalen Thompson here:
Additionally, a partial transcript of what was said at the beginning of the press conference is below.
Transcript
Q: So you guys found the pass rush at Nebraska, and then next week you were one of those guys that was out. Is it tough when you find a little success and then you're on the sideline the following week?
THOMPSON: Yeah, I would say it is tough, but we got time. I feel like everybody in our secondary that's up next is ready to play, so I really wasn't too worried about that.
Q: As a guy from the state, what does this rivalry mean to you?
THOMPSON: It means everything. Like Mark Dantonio once said, Kirk Cousins once said, 'The winner of this game is allowed to walk the streets, and the loser is going to be the one to walk the alley.' So, it means everything. It's a rivalry game.
Q: Did any of the messaging stand out over the course of the last couple months that Coach [Jonathan] Smith brought people in, whether it be alums or some coaches? Did any one person kind of give you a little insight into what it takes to be successful in this rivalry?
THOMPSON: I'll tell you one thing. One of the former players came in and he said that it's not really about the first punch, because at the beginning of the game, everybody's momentum is high. It's about that second punch. So being able to respond.
Q: Your alma mater, Cass Tech, has won the [Detroit] city championship. I'm sure that's exciting. Rivalry week, how do you manage the emotions when you have these personal connections with all these kind of high-emotion things going on right now?
THOMPSON: Definitely, like, being an in-town guy, there's definitely emotions everywhere. But just being able to hone in on what I need to get done and what my assignment is and, you know, getting the job done.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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