Michigan State Football: Top 50 players of all time
45. Drew Stanton
Before the dual-threat quarterback era in college football really took off, Drew Stanton was the guy for Michigan State. He was one of the best at tucking the ball and going at defenders, no matter the size. He was probably just as trustworthy running the ball as well as passing it.
Imagine if Drew Stanton played for Mark Dantonio and his dynamic offenses, but instead, he played during the John L. Smith era and had about as much success as he possibly could. Stanton was just 14-21 in three years as the starter for Michigan State, never making a bowl game during his time in East Lansing and never winning more than five games.
Stanton finished his career with 6,524 yards and 42 touchdowns with 28 interceptions. He ranks fourth in school history in passing yards, seventh in passing touchdowns and first in completion percentage at just over 64 percent.
Like I said before, he was one of the best at running with the ball as well, finishing with 1,512 yards on the ground and 15 interceptions.
Stanton’s best season came as a junior when he passed for just over 3,000 yards and 22 touchdowns while completing 66 percent of his passes. He’s now Carson Palmer’s backup on the Arizona Cardinals.
Next: 44. Bob Apisa