MSU Football Players Understand Big Ten’s Decision to Delay
The Michigan State football team heard the rumors before the Big Ten officially postponed fall sports on August 11.
It wasn't easy because they wanted to compete, but it was a decision the players understood.
"A lot of guys were just kind of in shock at first, and they didn't really believe it because you see all the rumors on Twitter, and you don't know how accurate it is," Matt Allen told reporters in a Zoom call. "So, when the news actually hit and it was real, it was just kind of like, 'Wow.'"
Without football, three MSU upperclassmen worked through the conference's postponement – taking the news in stride, which is the exact opposite of how some parents of players, coaches, and political leaders responded.
"Of course, we want to play. But at the same time, the decision was made for a pretty realistic reason. It's a good reason as to why the season would be delayed. Football is a contact sport, so of course, that's an easy way to spread the virus in a sense.
"So I feel like if we just all take a step back and just realize – especially because they gave us another year of eligibility back – it's almost, in my opinion, no reason to refute it heavily," said senior safety Dominique Long.
Since then, plenty of people have tried convincing the Big Ten to change their minds, including the President of the United States and Michigan Speaker of The House Lee Chatfield, along with nine other Midwest legislative leaders.
Yet, a phone call between President Trump and commissioner Kevin Warren plus a letter written to the conference by political leaders hasn't moved the needle for the right people.
Naturally, I'm referring to the Big Ten's presidents and chancellors, considering they are the only individuals capable of reneging on their decision.
Michigan State senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons doesn't believe the league could provide a "safe environment" to play football due to coronavirus – a decision he understood, though Simmons wasn't happy about the timing of it all.
"I wanted to play. I firmly believe that everybody wanted to play ... It was just the fact that the information was just taking so long to get to us, which was the issue. I think people would have been fine with either decision, whether we canceled it or had a season. It was just the fact that it came August 11 instead of before camp or at the beginning of August," Simmons said.
"Everybody would have had time to prep instead of having the whole conference in practice, going through workouts, doing everything they're supposed to be doing for getting ready for the season, and then at the snap of a finger; we're told that we can't go, we're not having a season."
Their reactions directly result from the culture new head coach Mel Tucker is creating in East Lansing.
He will often say, "Be where your feet are," meaning control what you can control, which is a significant component of what Tucker preaches to his players.
"I feel like he's done a fantastic job of just continuing to pull us all together and asking people how they're feeling and how everybody's doing. I feel like he's done everything to the best of his abilities," Long said about Tucker.
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