Michigan State University Athletics
Shilique Calhoun: A Model Spartan
9/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Jon Hevron, MSU Athletic Communications Staff Assistant
The accolades are numerous. The potential known across the country. A two-time All-American with the build of a Sparta warrior from ancient Greece.
But contrary to the comparisons made with his formidable stature, Shilique Calhoun's reputation in East Lansing has stemmed from his kind heart, glowing smile and rooted faith.
Calhoun stepped foot on campus in 2011, a bright-eyed, 6-foot 5-inch freshman willing to step out of the spotlight of being a two-sport high school standout and accept whatever role head coach Mark Dantonio and his staff asked of him.
"As time went on, I understood why I needed to be redshirted," explained Calhoun. "My mind wasn't advanced enough for the college game, and my body mass wasn't at the weight it needed to be to perform at this level. On top of that, I didn't fully understand the concept of team. I didn't get that until further on down the road.
"When I got here as a freshman and was put on scout team, our whole defense was excited to go out there. We came into each and every practice looking at it as game week."
It isn't everyday that you speak with a two-time captain of a program that has gone 42-12 over the past four seasons and hear gratitude about being asked to sit out a year, but that is Calhoun in a nutshell. The Spartan defensive end has now turned down the National Football League twice to remain in the Green and White.
"I just want another opportunity to play with these guys," Calhoun shared. "There is no football like college football. This opportunity is just a blessing, as would be going into the League, but playing with these guys is different. You build a brotherhood, a bond. When something special like that happens you want to embrace it.
 | "This is a family atmosphere like no other. There is a brotherhood here and a passion for the players. The reasons I first came to Michigan State are the same reasons I decided to stay. You understood that Coach Dantonio will look at you as more than just a football player, but as a man, as a son." |
"And very importantly, I want to finish my degree. That is more special than going to the NFL. It is extremely worthwhile. No one can take your degree away from you."
Calhoun will graduate in December with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, making him the first in his immediate family to graduate from a four-year university.
"This is a family atmosphere like no other," said the Middletown, New Jersey, native. "There is a brotherhood here and a passion for the players. The reasons I first came to Michigan State are the same reasons I decided to stay. You understood that Coach Dantonio will look at you as more than just a football player, but as a man, as a son. You are someone he wants to provide more help to than just X's and O's, but with your faith or anything he could lend a hand in."
It is that philosophy that has enthralled not just the football team, but the university as a whole, making East Lansing a hard place to say goodbye to. It was here that Calhoun was able to reconnect with a major part of his life growing up that was lost in his adolescence years, his faith.
"When I was younger, my aunt would take us to church what felt like every day," Calhoun remembered. "I got disconnected though after my house burned down when I was younger. There was so much havoc and monstrosity going on that it was difficult to stay strong."
It was a fellow teammate, another gentle giant of the defensive line, that helped Calhoun rediscover his tested faith.
"I was able to connect with someone here at MSU that is strong in his faith and helped me understand what life is about, and that is defensive tackle Joel Heath," said Calhoun. "He is someone that is strong in his religious faith and helped me fully appreciate what faith meant to me and how it needed to be a part of my life for me to keep progressing."
And progress he has. As a redshirt freshman, Calhoun saw action in 13 games, recording just six tackles. Since, he has earned All-America honors and First-Team All-Big Ten accolades each of the past two seasons, highlighted by being named the 2013 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. As Calhoun's performances have reached higher, so has Michigan State's, posting a 24-3 record over the past two campaigns.
"As these seasons have gone on, as my faith has strengthened, these seasons have gotten better and better," he said.
Calhoun, one never to be shy around other people even if it's the media putting cameras and recorders all around him, isn't timid to share his beliefs to help guide others as Heath did for him.
"I am trying to set up an outreach program where a couple of players and I will go out to local schools and just talk with the youth," Calhoun explained. "It won't be too fancy, just an opportunity for us to sit down with them to discuss how you have to have faith and that school is such a huge part of your future success. It can be a route out of any tough situation."
Sitting with Calhoun, as he tried to grab a quick lunch between team meetings and practice, he posed the challenge, how can you accomplish anything if you do not have faith. Your faith doesn't need to be anchored in religion, but at the very least in yourself.
"Faith will push you to do anything in life," he said. "If you want a job, you got to have faith that you can get it. If you want to play football, you need to have faith that you can compete. We can even break it down to if you want a tattoo, you have to have faith that you can withstand that pain."
As you listen to Calhoun speak, not just about football, but his passion for his teammates, his family, Michigan State, and you see the smile on his face as his eyes light up with enthusiasm, it is hard not to feel that passion for life in yourself. It is no wonder why his fellow Spartans voted him a captain for the second time in 2015.
"It is definitely a special honor to be able to have this opportunity once again," said Calhoun. "But it's going to be a special year regardless of who's named captain. It's going to be a special year, and I'm going to live in these moments and embrace all of them."
It is clear that Calhoun is more than a football player, a student, a man of faith and a man for others, but is a model Spartan.
