Michigan State Football: All-time Spartan team
Jan 1, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Michigan State Spartans cornerback Trae Waynes (15) and cornerback Darqueze Dennard (31) celebrate after Michigan State Spartans beat Stanford Cardinal 24-20 at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s take a look at the all-time Michigan State Football team, position-by-position.
Over the course of Michigan State football’s existence, there have been plenty of top-tier talents to come through and make their mark on the program. Every school has those guys who you talk about in nothing but a positive light because what they did for the program.
Putting together an all-time list for the Michigan State football program isn’t easy because there are so many guys at each position who are worthy of being mentioned.
Here at Spartan Avenue, we took a look at the top players in school history at all positions from quarterback to safety and everything in between. We voted on who would make the all-time Spartan football team and the categories break down as follows:
Note: These aren’t solely based on players with the best stats.
- Quarterback (Top 2)
- Running Backs (Top 2)
- Wide Receivers (Top 2)
- Tight End (No. 1 in MSU history)
- Offensive Line (Top 3, no particular positions)
- Defensive Line (Top 3, no particular positions)
- Linebackers (Top 3, no particular positions)
- Cornerbacks (Top 2)
- Safeties (Top 2)
- Head Coach (No. 1 in school history)
Take a look at who we voted to our all-time Michigan State Football team and let us know if you agree, disagree or think there should be some honorable mentions.
Quarterback(1): Connor Cook
Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
There’s no debating this one, Connor Cook is the best quarterback in Michigan State Football history, leading the program in touchdown passes, 71, and is less than 150 yards away from becoming the school’s all-time leader in that category as well.
Cook is the school’s winningest quarterback and he has a chance to lead the Spartans to their first national title since 1966 — yes, 49 years of pain.
The senior quarterback would make any Michigan State all-time team and if you constructed the perfect starting lineup, he would have to be in it. He’s calm, clutch and level-headed and despite the fact that he wasn’t named a captain in his final year in the green and white, Cook is a tremendous leader.
Who would have thought he would have gone from third-string quarterback in 2012 to starting quarterback in 2013, leading Michigan State to three-straight 11-win seasons, a Rose Bowl victory, a Cotton Bowl win and an appearance in the College Football Playoff? Not me.
Oh yeah, and he has two Big Ten titles under his belt.
Next: Quarterback(2)