Michigan State University Athletics
Adam Decker: Lifelong Spartan
9/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 16, 2009
By Jeff Barnes, MSU Athletic Communications Intern
Adam Decker grew up a Spartan. From grade school on, Decker always knew he wanted to wear the Green and White. For some, it's a dream and that's it. For others it's something that with hard work - and a little pedigree - can become a reality.
Decker, now in his last season, is like most seniors - wondering where time has gone.
"When you are younger, everyone says college is going to go by really fast but at the time you really don't believe it," Decker said. "To be here now, knowing I've been here for about four-and-half years - it just doesn't seem like it at all."
While his career has seen the ups and downs of that of a typical college football player, Decker has always maintained a team-first, blue-collar attitude. It's this workman-like mentality that Decker inherited from his father, Michael, a three-time letterwinner at linebacker for the Spartans from 1977-79.
"It's a bond that we have," said Decker. "We both love Michigan State. As a kid, I always looked up to him and as I got older and into high school, I realized how special it was and how much of a challenge it is to make it to this level."
The Rochester Hills native's first year at MSU was 2005. After redshirting his first season, he saw action in all 12 games in 2006 and looked to be in line for an increased role the next season. However, an injury limited him to just two games as a sophomore in 2007.
Last season, Decker saw all of his hard work over the previous three seasons pay off. He started eight games and was a force in the middle of the Spartans' linebacking corps. He finished the season with 56 tackles (fifth most on the team) and proved to be an invaluable piece of MSU's rush defense.
Oh yeah, and there was that one huge play he made last season that will be talked about and shown in highlight reels for years to come. But since the humble Decker doesn't really like to talk about "the play"... (Pssst, if you don't remember - and how could you not - Decker hit Iowa All-American running back Shonn Green for a 3-yard loss on a fourth-and-inches play in the final minutes of the fourth quarter that preserved the Spartans' 16-13 victory over the Hawkeyes.)
 | "You are always going to experience setbacks but you need to keep pushing and know that things will get better if you just work hard." |
Decker admits he was "just doing his job" on the game-saving play and nothing more. While it may have increased his confidence as a player going forward, he insists it did more for a team that was seeking to play in its first January bowl game since 1999.
"It helped our team confidence more than anything," Decker said. "We were in a position where it was still pretty early in the season and we had won the games early on that we were expected to win. The Iowa game was really our first challenge of the year and after coming out on top I think we all kind of realized that we had the chance to do great things and beat a lot of good teams."
Decker sees last year's success as a major catalyst for this season.
"I think we realize that last year was a stepping stone to getting to where we want to be," he added. "If we all can get our jobs done individually, we will be able to look back at the end of the season and say we were Big Ten Champions and we achieved our goals."
It's leadership like that and strong team-first values that makes Decker not only such a valuable piece to the Spartans' success this season, but critical in the development and mindset of the team's younger players. As a fifth-year senior, he embraces the role of mentor to his younger teammates.
"Seniors are expected to be leaders - Coach Dantonio makes a big point of that and says he expects the seniors to have their best years on and off the field in their final year," Decker said. "Being in the position where we've been through it all, you are able to relate to the underclassmen because we have been through all those situations. We can use what we've learned to try and encourage them and help them through the tough times."
As he prepares for his final season on the field, Decker is hoping to savor the moments he has left as a player. All of his experiences as a Spartan football player will surely help him in the years to come, as the finance major and two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection is preparing to attend law school next year.
If he follows the simple advice he gives the underclassmen, the success Decker has experienced on and off the field will continue for years to come.
"There are always going to be ups and downs," said Decker. "You are always going to experience setbacks but you need to keep pushing and know that things will get better if you just work hard."
This feature was originally published in the Sept. 5 edition of Michigan State Football Gameday Magazine.
GETTING TO KNOW Adam Decker
Hometown: Rochester Hills, Mich.
High School: Brother Rice
Number: 55
Major: Finance
Fast Facts: Earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award for having over a 3.7 GPA last year ... Named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District second team in 2008 ... Participated in the July 2009 Heroes for Kids golf outing, benefiting Saginaw youth recreation programs ... His father, Michael, was on the 1978 Spartan team that won the Big Ten Championship.
