Michigan State Football: All-time Spartan team
Cornerback(2): Renaldo Hill
If there’s one guy who knows how to play cornerback, and play it well, it’s Renaldo Hill from the 1998-2000 Spartans, playing in the final years of Nick Saban and the first year of a short stay for Bobby Williams. Hill still played an incredible career at MSU, becoming one of the all-time greats and earning the trust of Pat Narduzzi who has him on his staff at Pittsburgh as the cornerbacks coach.
Back to Hill’s college career. Saban hadn’t done much as the head coach for Michigan State in his first four years with the program, notching more than six wins just once, but his best win came at the expense of No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus in 1998.
Heavy underdog Michigan State was leading 28-24 with just about 1:15 left in the fourth quarter when Ohio State QB Joe Germaine stepped back for a 4th-and-10 pass from the Spartans’ 15-yard-line and tossed it into the end zone, only to have the ball picked off by none other than Renaldo Hill.
If there’s one play in which he’s remembered by in East Lansing, it’s the seal-the-deal interception against the No. 1 Buckeyes.
Other than that, he still had a great three years with the green and white, intercepting five passes in his first season, recording 57 tackles and 13 pass deflections along with an interception the next year and finished off his college career with 71 tackles, 11 pass deflections and three picks. He was named second-team All-Big Ten and ranks fourth in school history with 36 pass deflections.
Next: Safety(1)