John Masters: Making A Difference
11/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 27, 2007
By Jessica Taylor, MSU Sports Information Student Assistant
The dictionary definition of a well-rounded individual is a person who possesses desirable varied abilities or attainments. Certainly, no person better fits this description than senior offensive lineman John Masters. Whether it's lip-syncing to the song "It's Raining Men" to benefit the Children's Miracle Network, or crushing opponents on the field, Masters is making a difference.
"One thing I've always tried to do is make the best of my time," Masters said. "Have fun when you can and work hard when you're supposed to. That is something that my parents gave to me and I always try to keep it in my mindset."
Well, it is apparent that his mindset is definitely in the correct place. Born in Carmel, Ind., Masters naturally attended Carmel High School, where he earned all-county, all-conference and all-metro honors in 2002 and was listed among Indiana's top seniors in the Bloomington Herald-Times Top 33.
After enrolling at MSU in the fall of 2003, Masters redshirted and was named Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week vs. Notre Dame and everything took off from there.
Not only has Masters been an essential part of the team over the past five years, but he has also proven to be an asset to the community. In 2006, Masters and a group of teammates participated in the SPYN Awards, a student-athlete lip sync contest, to benefit the Children's Miracle Network. The group of football players chose to lip sync to not just one song, but got in touch with their creative sides and put a twist on the original lip sync idea.
"We did a medley that consisted of `It's Raining Men', `YMCA' and a skit from Saturday Night Live where Chris Farley dances against Patrick Swayze," Masters said with a laugh. "We made complete fools of ourselves and it was rather funny."
In addition to participating in the 2006 SPYN awards, Masters founded the "Make a Change" foundation, where all proceeds go to cancer research. "It wasn't difficult to start at all. It's just something I've done since I've been here," Masters said. "It is something that closely affected my family and me. You just have to get stuff going, and once it got going, it really took off."
Currently, the "Make a Change" foundation has raised nearly $10,000 for cancer research at various public events. Masters' outstanding efforts have certainly not gone unnoticed by the community or MSU. In 2007, Masters' was presented with two of MSU's highest honors; the Dr. James Feurig Achievement and Service Award as well as the Gwendolyn Norrell Community Service and Leadership Award.
Having dealt with cancer on a personal level, the "Make a Change" foundation holds a special place in Masters' heart. With an amazing amount of optimism, he was able to take away a positive outlook from the situation.
"It's been a battle for my family because my dad had cancer. It has made me understand what is really important in life," Masters stated. "It has also helped me balance football, school and stuff in life that you just can't control."
Challenges and obstacles are not news to Masters. In addition to dealing with his father's bouts with cancer, he was not able to play in the first half of the 2007 season due to an injury.
"It was tough. My senior year was really something I was looking forward to because I got nicked up my junior year, so going into this year, I had a lot of high expectations, but I guess that's just part of the game and it happens," Masters said. "I just fought through it."
Luckily for Spartan fans, Masters was able to start the last half of his senior season and he couldn't be happier with how his football career is wrapping up.
"You really have to treat this whole experience like a family, especially with the football aspect," Masters said about his time spent at MSU. "There are some good times and there are some bad times. You don't leave your family when times are rough."
Masters is currently taking graduate classes to pursue a career as an athletic director or as a director of football or basketball operations, so MSU will be graced with his presence for just a little bit longer. It is no surprise though, seeing as how he feels about the Spartans.
"I have fallen in love with this school and it has been just an unbelievable experience," Masters said.
So while his football career is coming to an end, it is apparent that there are still big plans in his future, as he so eloquently quotes the Greek philosopher Archimedes.
"`Give me a foot to stand on and I can move the world,'" Masters said. "I always kept that in my back pocket, that you can really do anything you put your mind to."
If anyone can, it is certainly John Masters. If he has proven one thing through his time spent here at MSU, nice guys don't always finish last.
