MSU's DeLattiboudere Had Insane Turnaround From NFL Job
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- There wasn't any time to recuperate before it was time for Winston DeLattiboudere III to start his new job.
Michigan State was about to make him their new defensive line coach. The spot had been waiting for him since mid-December. The only problem was that DeLattiboudere still had to finish out his obligations with the Arizona Cardinals.
From Red (Eye) to Green
Arizona's season finale was on Sunday, Jan. 4, a loss to the Los Angeles Rams that finished off a 3-14 season. DeLattiboudere didn't even give himself a night back in Glendale, Ariz., before he turned in cardinal red for Spartan green.
"I flew with the team back to Arizona, gave some guys my love, talked to Calais [Campbell], a lot of different guys like that that were on the trip," DeLattiboudere said Tuesday. "I just told them how much I appreciated them."
"Went back to the terminal, PHX, got on a red-eye flight that got here in Detroit at five o'clock in the morning, got in a car from that red-eye flight, drove to the facility, walked into a staff meeting, then I started my journey. I got like three hours of sleep on a plane, and I was in the middle of the row in between two dudes that looked just like me, so it wasn't too comfortable of a flight."
Why Coach 'DeBo' Arrived Fast
Really, in terms of the college football calendar, DeLattiboudere was arriving relatively late. His arrival on Jan. 5 marked the fourth day the transfer portal had been open. Since "Coach DeBo," as he's commonly referred to, was joining a brand-new staff going through a change at the top, the sense of urgency was already super high.
One thing that was definitely true, despite the very little amount of airplane sleep, is that DeLattiboudere probably didn't seem that tired. He's a bit like if caffeine were a person (in a good way).
Chip on the Shoulder
Joe Rossi is the major reason DeLattiboudere was a natural fit with the Spartans. Rossi coached DeLattiboudere as a player at Minnesota for a few years. During that time, Rossi said that head coach P.J. Fleck tried to replace DeLattiboudere multiple times, but they never did because DeLattiboudere played so hard.
Getting a spot in general was a surprise. Listed at just 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, DeLattiboudere was extremely undersized for a defensive lineman. MSU's Derrick Simmons, a rising redshirt freshman defensive lineman, said DeLattiboudere told the room that he wasn't supposed to really see the field until he was a redshirt senior. He ended up going out there as a redshirt freshman and got some starts.
"He's talked to us about how they're bringing in people to replace you," Simmons also said. "You've got to be prepared to be hardworking and be able to go out there day in and day out to perform, because it's your job, too, and it's his job to find people better than you."
It's a little harsh, but that's the reality of college sports these days in the NIL and transfer portal era. College football is more like the NFL now than it was 10 years ago. Players can be cut or told to go elsewhere every offseason if they aren't producing during practices and games. DeLattiboudere, who has seen new-age college football, old-age college football, and the NFL now, will bring an interesting perspective on how to build an effective DL room.
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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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