Trevon Pendleton: Making the Most of His Opportunity

Oct. 10, 2015

By Derek Blalock, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant

When you grow up rooting for a Big Ten school, the Rose Bowl is like the Super Bowl. Every kid dreams of someday suiting up in their school's colors on that hallowed ground in Pasadena, California. Trevon Pendleton was no different.

As a kid in southern Ohio, the fifth-year senior fullback can remember vividly the many times when him, his brother and cousins would reenact the latest Rose Bowl game in their backyard dreaming of the big game.

But for most, that's exactly what it is, a dream. For Pendleton, however, his dream became reality.

During one of the most memorable seasons in Spartan history in 2013, Pendleton was in his first full season as the starting fullback for MSU. Used primarily as an additional blocker, Pendleton scored earlier in the season against Youngstown State. But his Spartan moment came with just 28 seconds left in the first half of the Rose Bowl against Stanford.

Pendleton scissor-kicked as he jumped to catch a 2-yard pass from quarterback Connor Cook, bringing the Spartans within just three points with a head of momentum heading into halftime.

"Honestly, it took months for it to set in. I was just on cloud nine," he said. "To actually be there on that stage and to actually have a chance to score and ultimately win, it'll probably take 20 years when I'm removed from the game looking back on it. It'll be a lot more apparent on what all went down that day."

Reaching that stage, however, wasn't always a sure-fire bet for Pendleton, who despite being a three-time all-state player in high school, only had scholarship offers from Ball State and Air Force. He then visited Michigan State for a senior one-day camp, and told his dad after that he could definitely see himself going to school in East Lansing.

Late into his senior year of high school, Pendleton suffered a setback in his football career when he broke his leg, making him appreciate the game that much more, because of how fast it can be taken away.

"I had (Michigan State) in the back of my mind for a while," he said. "Then I was talking to the staff and everything happened with my broken leg and I didn't know what was going to happen or what schools were going to take a chance on me, and luckily I got a call one day from Coach Salem, Coach Tressel and Coach Dantonio. They said they were going to take a shot on me and give me a preferred walk-on, and I knew right then this is where I wanted to go."

Pendleton redshirted his first season on campus and was named Scout Team Player of the Week twice. He appeared in nine games during his redshirt freshman campaign, including his first start against Michigan.

However, still without a scholarship during the fall of 2012, Pendleton wasn't sure if he was going to be able to stick it out in East Lansing with his parents and student loans helping pay his tuition. Finally, the day before the deadline to offer scholarships for the upcoming semester, he received a call from Mark Dantonio.

"I was playing quite a bit that year," Pendleton recalled. "It felt like a true blessing to know that I didn't have to take out loans or have to have my parents pay for it anymore. For him to think of me in that way and give me that opportunity is the most humbling experience I've ever had."

Fast forward two seasons later. Pendleton has started 24 games, including all five games for the Spartans so far this season. With a limited number of home games left at Spartan Stadium, Pendleton understands he needs to cherish every moment left in what he calls his "second home."

Though his college career is coming to a close, Pendleton is going to take a shot at the NFL, but after that he expects to get right into coaching.

"Football is really all I've ever been around," said the Lucasville, Ohio, native. "(My) dad's coached forever. (My) brother played and coached. It's honestly something I live every (day for). Anyone that knows me knows I'm doing something around football 24/7, so I've gotta do something with coaching or be around football. The opportunity to impact other kids' lives is something that I hold a lot of value in, and to be able to be in that position one day is something I really want to do."

For now though, Pendleton will be back in his "second home" against Purdue and hopes to help the Spartans to another historic season, as they try to make the College Football Playoff for the first time.

This feature was originally published in the Oct. 3 edition of Michigan State Football Gameday Magazine.