Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Begin Spring Practice
3/14/2023 5:04:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State football team began spring practice with a two-hour workout in helmets, jerseys and shorts on Tuesday morning inside the Duffy Daugherty Football Building.
"We're really focusing on having a relentless mindset in everything that we do, on and off the field," said fourth-year MSU head coach Mel Tucker on Monday during a 30-minute press conference to preview spring practice. "That's where it starts. Our core values are, one, tough; two, discipline; and three, being unselfish. We're going to hammer those things every single day, all day, every day. That's how we're going to get better this spring.
"We have a lot of competition at a lot of positions – every position is open. Some guys in our rep chart, they'll start with the 1's, but it might not end up being that way. We're going to play the best players and who is the most productive and most consistent. This is a time for us to start that process and find out who is going to have what roles and continue to build our program."
Following practice, linebacker Cal Haladay, wide receiver Tre Mosley, center Nick Samac and quarterback Payton Thorne met with the media to talk about their goals this spring and the mindset of the team heading into spring ball.
"I looked within myself…how much improvement do I need to make as a player, and I felt like there was a lot to improve this year, and a lot more I can prove in college," said Samac, a four-year letterwinner who elected to return to Michigan State for a fifth season of eligibility. "So it was an easy decision for me."
The Spartans are returning 47 letterwinners from last year's team, including their leading receiver (Keon Coleman, 58 catches for 798 yards and seven TDs), passer (Thorne, 2,679 yards), rusher (Jalen Berger, 683 yards) and tackler (Haladay, 120 tackles).
"This year, everyone has high hopes – I think we have a lot of the key pieces that we need," said Samac. "Everyone is excited to get working and get working together. I think we're in a positive mindset and everyone is ready to go."
The Spartans have a busy week ahead, as the program hosts its annual Pro Day on Wednesday before returning to practice on Thursday and Saturday.
Michigan State will conclude spring practice on Saturday, April 15 in Spartan Stadium.
"We're really focusing on having a relentless mindset in everything that we do, on and off the field," said fourth-year MSU head coach Mel Tucker on Monday during a 30-minute press conference to preview spring practice. "That's where it starts. Our core values are, one, tough; two, discipline; and three, being unselfish. We're going to hammer those things every single day, all day, every day. That's how we're going to get better this spring.
"We have a lot of competition at a lot of positions – every position is open. Some guys in our rep chart, they'll start with the 1's, but it might not end up being that way. We're going to play the best players and who is the most productive and most consistent. This is a time for us to start that process and find out who is going to have what roles and continue to build our program."
Following practice, linebacker Cal Haladay, wide receiver Tre Mosley, center Nick Samac and quarterback Payton Thorne met with the media to talk about their goals this spring and the mindset of the team heading into spring ball.
"I looked within myself…how much improvement do I need to make as a player, and I felt like there was a lot to improve this year, and a lot more I can prove in college," said Samac, a four-year letterwinner who elected to return to Michigan State for a fifth season of eligibility. "So it was an easy decision for me."
The Spartans are returning 47 letterwinners from last year's team, including their leading receiver (Keon Coleman, 58 catches for 798 yards and seven TDs), passer (Thorne, 2,679 yards), rusher (Jalen Berger, 683 yards) and tackler (Haladay, 120 tackles).
"This year, everyone has high hopes – I think we have a lot of the key pieces that we need," said Samac. "Everyone is excited to get working and get working together. I think we're in a positive mindset and everyone is ready to go."
The Spartans have a busy week ahead, as the program hosts its annual Pro Day on Wednesday before returning to practice on Thursday and Saturday.
Michigan State will conclude spring practice on Saturday, April 15 in Spartan Stadium.
Players Mentioned
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