Michigan State University Athletics
Sparring Spartans
9/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 21, 2000
By Dina Karwoski
MSU sports information intern
Welcome to the heavyweight main event. This is a fight for ages - offensive lineman vs. defensive lineman in a war of words.
Normally, when the two meet mano a mano, it's a battle in the trenches. Power against power. Muscle against muscle. Colliding, regrouping, then colliding again. When did an offensive lineman and defensive lineman ever get to debate the serious issues, such as who is better?
This skirmish - the fight for supremacy in the trenches - is scheduled for 10 rounds. In one corner, from Toledo, Ohio, weighing in at 295 pounds, is senior co-captain and Spartans' starting offensive guard, Shaun "The Mase" Mason. In the other corner, hailing from McHenry, Ill., also weighing in at 295 pounds and the self-proclaimed smack-talk champion of the world, is MSU senior defensive tackle, Jace "Big Country" Sayler.
The rules are simple. No talking about each other's moms, no shots below the belt and keep the language clean. Now, hit hands and come out talking.
Round One: Who is smarter?
Mase: "We have to think more on our feet, having all the different calls. We are basically forced to think a lot more. Those guys (pointing to Jace) are faster, though.
Jace: (quietly) "They are. But we are tougher and a little bit more sick-in-the-head type of individuals. We run after things and hit people as hard as we can. You have to have an attitude that goes along with it."
Round One: Mase.
Round Two: What sets linemen apart from every other position on the field?
Mase: "We're tough. We have to go every down, go and pound heads every play. It's a true battle waged in the trenches.
Jace: "We're fat."
Round Two: Mase.
Round Three: Smack-talking. Who does more of it?
Mase: "Defense talks a lot more than the offense. But my big thing is when I get a guy mad and he tries to say something, I just laugh. Man, that gets him madder than anything. If I come around and get a big hit on somebody, they try to jump up and push me. I'll laugh and laugh. It really makes the other guy mad that you don't react."
Jace: "I know he's done that laughing thing to me. But I still like to talk a lot. It gets you more fired up. If they respond to you, it makes me even madder. It's just something I like to do, get that rise out of them and try to take them out of their game."
Round Three: Jace wins the round on a split decision.
Round Four: What kind of interests do you have off the field? Maybe a motorcycle or exotic pets?
Jace: "I have a scooter. I look goofy on it. I have this little red scooter and everyone stares at me when I am riding around going about ten miles per hour. No Harley. No tough-guy. I drive around on a scooter.
Mase: (Can't answer because he is still laughing.)
Round Four: The judges give Jace the round for admitting to riding a scooter.
Round Five: What is an average meal for you?
Jace: "I really don't eat much at any meal in particular. I just kind of eat all day long. (MSU strength and conditioning) Coach (Ken) Mannie is going to kick my butt, but this morning I had six or seven eggs along with hash browns topped with ketchup and hot sauce. By eleven, I was hungry again and I had a 12-inch sub and some chips. For dinner, it's going to be a couple pieces of chicken, some macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and maybe some ice cream."
Mase: (laughing as Jace explains his daily feeding) "I like to save up my hunger sometimes. I'll be starving and then go some place to eat and just annihilate whatever I order. Like after a game, I have to go to Jersey Giant and pack away two of those."
Jace: "Dude, did you really? Those are things are huge. See, that's the difference between offensive and defensive linemen right there!"
Mase: "I'm dying by that point. I just have eggs before a game. After it, I am starving so I have to pound away at least two."
Round Five: Even. The judges are amazed by how much the two eat.
Round Six: What gets you ready for a game?
Mase: "I'll eat some breakfast and then come back to my room and watch some fishing shows. There's nothing like fishing shows to calm your nerves. Gets my mind off things. When I get to the stadium, I always sit down and read through the program and then I go to get dressed. As soon as I get that gear on, I know it's time to go. It's like I switch it on right there."
Jace: "I am very ritualistic. Even the night before, I eat my dinner in the same order. I go to the bathroom at the same time, rest at the same time, get taped at the same time. I work on an exact schedule. I even try to put my pads on in the same order. My stomach really starts to turn on the walk to the stadium. Once you see the stadium, you see the people and you know it's time."
Round Six: Jace. Despite the judges' affinity for fishing shows, Jace's attention to detail give him the round.
Round Seven: Use an adjective to describe your style of play.
Jace: (laughing) "What's an adjective?"
Mase: "It's a descriptive word."
Jace: "I knew that. I would say nasty. I really don't care what people think of me at practice or at games. I just want to play the game my way. As soon as I get off the field, all those people that hated me before can be my best friends. Just ask Mase. I cheap-shot him all the time."
Mase: "And then I just laugh at him. Offensive line play is like controlled anger. You have to play with your heart and as hard as you can, but you always have to be in control. If there isn't control there, we can mess up."
Round Seven: Mase. Anyone with the ability to laugh at 295 pounds of self-proclaimed "nasty" deserves some credit.
Round Eight: Any hits on opponents that really stand out?
Jace: "I laid a nice smack on a guy from Florida (in last year's Florida Citrus Bowl). That was probably my biggest hit. It was right around the goal line and I just crushed him. I put all 295 pounds into him and, trust me, if you ask him, he probably wants to forget it."
Mase: "The one I remember most was (last year against) Penn State when T.J. (Duckett) had that run. I took my guy and just drove him back about five yards, putting him right on his back. That was probably the biggest one and it made it better to see T.J. rip it into the end zone. You know his famous run, where he rips it into the end zone backwards? I knew I threw a key block - the biggest one I ever through."
Round Eight: Mase's no-I-in-team mentality makes the judges a misty-eyed, but the bottom line is MSU won both games. Even.
Round Nine: Describe yourself in one word.
Jace: "I don't know about him, but I'm a warrior."
Mase: "That's what I was going to say."
Jace: "You can be a Spartan."
Mase: "Okay. I'll say a Spartan."
Round Nine: Jace launches a preemptive strike by stealing Mase's answer but then helps him off the canvas. Even.
Round Ten: Describe your style of play in 10 seconds or less.
Mase: "Keep coming after them each and every play because eventually one of the lines is going to wear down. Normally, it's the defensive guys."
Jace: "It's key to be physical and dominate the guy across from you. Defensive linemen have to know that they can physically dominate the offense for sixty minutes."
Round Ten: Even.
The final score is three rounds in favor of Mase, three for Jace and four scored evenly. The battle is ruled a draw. Apparently, our judges would like to keep this grudge match going. Besides, would you want to tell either one of these guys they lost?
TALE OF THE TAPE
Shaun Mason
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 295 pounds
DOB: March 16, 1978
Position: Offensive guard
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Career Highlights: 1999 Battle of Michigan (MSU 34, UM 31) and the '99 Nittany Lion Nightmare (MSU 35, PSU 28).
NFL Idols: Redskins' defensive line. Dexter Manley and Charles Mann. "I was a defensive lineman in little league until I realized I was too slow," explains Mason.
Favorite Pro Wrestler: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Number of Tattoos: 2
Jace Sayler
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 295 pounds
DOB: February 17, 1979
Position: Defensive tackle
Hometown: McHenry, Illinois
Career Highlight: 2000 Florida Flogging (MSU 37, Florida 34, at the Florida Citrus Bowl).
NFL Idol: Vikings' defensive tackle John Randle. "I enjoy his "kill" attitude and sick mentality," says Sayler.
Favorite Pro Wrestler: Goldberg
Number of Tattoos: 3
