David Herron Jr. Gets A Little Help From His Friends

Oct. 29, 2006

By Joe Guistina, MSU Sports Information Intern

A preseason nominee for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded annually to the nation's best defensive player, David Herron Jr. will be the first to say that isn't what he expected when he came to Michigan State. However, he'll also add, he wouldn't trade his experiences in the Green and White for anything.

He's loose and soft-spoken, not exactly a linebacker in the mold of Lawrence Taylor. The son of a reverend, Herron is, nonetheless, one of the finest defensive playmakers at Michigan State. He is currently second on the team in tackles and also has two and a half tackles for loss.

When Herron first stepped onto the practice fields behind the Duffy Daugherty football complex, he was one of the best fullback prospects in the nation. He was a bruiser from Warren G. Harding High School in Ohio who blocked for Maurice Clarett for two years.

In 2002, an ankle injury kept him from action after the first two games. In the meantime, he watched from the sidelines as the team finished 4-8, its worst finish in more than a decade.

He got homesick and thought about heading back to Warren, a working-class suburb outside of Youngstown. He stayed, though, thanks in large part to his best friend, Clifton Ryan.

"Clif helped me out the most," Herron said. "We tell each other stuff we wouldn't tell other people. He knew I was going through a hard time and he was going through a hard time himself, so he fought through it, too."

In 2003, Herron played mostly on special teams, making five tackles. In the spring, he was asked to move from fullback, a position he had played almost exclusively since his days in high school, to linebacker.

"I thought about transferring," he said, "but I told myself that I would try it out and see how it was. I'm not a quitter. The first time I went to linebacker was kind of hard, but I'm pretty dedicated at what I do so I just fought and tried to do whatever I had to do to make myself better."

Herron worked through the transition quickly, becoming one of Michigan State's top defensive playmakers almost immediately. He made 95 tackles as a sophomore, eight for a loss, and added 65 more tackles as a junior, which was second on the team.

He's made big plays in big games, most notably a fumble recovery at the 1-yard line on first-and-goal at Notre Dame in 2005. The stop became even larger after the Irish scored 21 straight points to force overtime in the Spartans' 44-41 win. Herron said he enjoys chances just like that, whether its making nine tackles against Michigan last Saturday or nine at Ohio State in 2005.

"It's fun," Herron said of playing the nation's top-ranked teams. "They're in the spotlight and if you stop them, you can get in the spotlight. There are opportunities when you play those teams."

Along with his fellow classmates, Herron has been through it all in his time as a Spartan. He has seen the coaching staff that recruited him leave, the new one take him to a bowl game the next season, followed by the disappointment of not making it to a bowl the last two years. This year, the co-captain is ready to finish his career on a successful note.

"The whole senior class has a certain bond," he said. "We've known each other for five years. We're like brothers."

After all, Herron has spent five years sweating, working, eating, sleeping and living with his teammates. It was inevitable that his bond with players like Ryan and former suitemates Drew Stanton, Jerramy Scott and Kyle Cook became a strong one.

So now with half the season lying ahead, Herron is starting to think about how he wants his senior class to be remembered at Michigan State. He puts it simply, saying he wants to "win all the games."

"I want to go out with a bang," Herron said, "and send our seniors out as winners. I want to finish up my Michigan State career with a good record."

What else could a man who has switched positions and forced himself to become a success for the Green and White want, whether that's how he envisioned it five years ago or not? Herron said he has no regrets about his collegiate career, his position change and especially not about the friendships he has forged.

"My motto is, `Everything happens for a reason,'" he said. "Whatever happens, happens. Hopefully, it turns out good."

This feature was originally printed in Spartan SportsZone Magazine for the Ohio State game program.