Michigan State University Athletics
Tony Lippett: Rise to the Top
11/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Matthew Bontorin, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Since the arrival of head coach Mark Dantonio in 2007, the Michigan State football program has taken on a new identity. The Spartan coaching staff has gained national recognition for the development of players in their system, turning potential into production. The recruiting process has been not only about identifying the best players, but also bringing on players with a strong personality who are willing to do whatever it takes to help the team.
No player on the Michigan State roster resembles this shift in culture like senior wide receiver Tony Lippett. Despite Lippett's recent rise to stardom with a breakout season in 2014, the 6-3, 185-pound receiver took one of the more unconventional routes to becoming the player he is today.
Lippett, who played quarterback for Crockett High School in Detroit, was not offered a scholarship by any Big Ten team to play quarterback in college. Instead, Lippett was recruited by Dantonio and the Spartans as an athlete; a player with an unspecified position. The coaching staff saw potential in Lippett to be a playmaker at many different positions, most notably wide receiver. They also identified Lippett as a man of character, someone who was described as a "role model" in high school.
"They asked a lot of people around my school about me, just to get an idea of what kind of person I am," said Lippett. "They want to know what kind of people they're bringing in. It's a big reason why we've been so successful lately."
Lippett excelled on the scout team during his redshirt season in 2010, including time at quarterback, and was primed and ready to make an impact on the field in 2011. However, with a talented cast of wide receivers such as Keshawn Martin, B.J. Cunningham and Keith Nichol, Lippett was once again asked to take on a new role. With a vacancy at cornerback, he was approached about competing for a starting spot on defense.
"At that point I was just trying to get experience at every position I could," said Lippett. "I embraced the change because I knew coach [Dantonio] believed in me. I was less concerned about what position I would play and more about just getting on the field and helping the team win."
Lippett made five starts and appeared in all 14 games at cornerback in 2011, making 18 tackles and ranking second on the team with five pass break-ups. Michigan State went on to win the Outback Bowl that season, defeating SEC East Champion and No. 18 Georgia.
Despite his success on defense, Lippett was once again presented with a new opportunity in 2012. With three of the Spartans' top receivers graduating, Lippett moved to offense to fill the void at wide receiver. The decision was partially driven by Lippett, who felt he could use his speed and good hands to make plays on offense.
In his first full season as a receiver, Lippett showed promise by ranking third on the team in receptions (36) and fourth in receiving yards (392). But he knew he needed to improve.
After catching just four passes in the first four games of 2013, Lippett approached the coaches at MSU and back home in Detroit about what he needed to do to turn his career around.
"I had to look in the mirror and figure out what I needed to do to get back on the field," said Lippett. "There were a lot of missed opportunities out there and I wanted to step up and be the player the coaches brought me here to be."
Lippett was encouraged to refine his approach and focus on the basics. He began watching more film, making it a point to take what he learned from playing other positions and applying it to wide receiver.
The converted wide receiver entered Big Ten play with a new approach and a chip on his shoulder. The Spartans defeated Iowa and rolled past Indiana to open conference play. Lippett led the team against Indiana in week seven with six catches for 64 yards. He continued his hot play, recording more than 60 yards receiving in each of his final six games.
For Lippett, it was all starting to come together.
"We came here to be playmakers," said Lippett. "We ended up putting everything that happened in the past aside and getting it in our head that we can play this game. We just needed to go out and execute."
 | "If we didn't struggle, I don't know if we ever would have succeeded the way we did. The journey has only made our success that much more satisfying. We'll never forget where we came from." |
The Spartans did just that, closing out the season Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champions. Lippett caught four passes for 65 yards and a touchdown in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. Ohio State, then followed that up with then-career highs in the 100th Rose Bowl Game, making five catches for 94 yards, including the game-winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter against the fifth-ranked Stanford Cardinal.
"Those were pretty big games and pretty big moments," said Lippett. "Our team was built for it. We had great players and great leadership. Once we came together and decided we could play, there was no stopping us."
Instead of getting complacent with his new found success, Lippett entered the offseason with the goal in mind of becoming one of the best receivers in the nation in 2014. He spent countless hours in the summer working with his starting quarterback Connor Cook, who was also poised for a breakout year.
With a new sense of confidence, Lippett has continued to roll. He enters the Ohio State game first in the Big Ten in receiving yards (889) and touchdown catches (9), and was recently named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List (nation's top receiver).
As Lippett's time winds down with the Green and White, he reflected on the journey he has taken to this point.
"Everything that I've gone through as a player and a person has made me into who I am today," said Lippett. "It all ties together, the struggles to the Rose Bowl experience. If we didn't struggle, I don't know if we ever would have succeeded the way we did. The journey has only made our success that much more satisfying. We'll never forget where we came from."
This feature was originally published in the Oct. 25 edition of Michigan State Football Gameday Magazine.
