Michigan State football will be taking on Western Michigan Saturday, but the Broncos know some things are bigger than sports.
Just over a year ago, Michigan State football lost a major member of its family. Former punter, and fan favorite, Mike Sadler was killed in a car accident following a kicking/punting camp in Wisconsin.
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Sadler and Nebraska punter Sam Foltz didn’t survive the crash and it left the entire college football world shaken. No, these guys weren’t Heisman contenders, but what they brought to their respective programs was irreplaceable.
Opposing teams who have visited Spartan Stadium over the past year have honored Sadler in pretty cool ways, such as flowers at the three-yard-line — since he was No. 3.
Western Michigan is also doing something to support the Spartans after their loss. Some outside the Spartan program may have put that memory in the back of their minds, but Western Michigan didn’t forget.
This is pretty cool:
What a gesture by @WMU_Football to honor @Sadler_3 with these helmets vs @MSU_Football. Class act. Thank you for honoring my friend. 💚💚💚 pic.twitter.com/jzCO61DoIO
— Michelle McMahon (@Meesh_McMahon) September 9, 2017
The two in-state foes will do battle at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, but they are supporting each other. Not often do you see a team put a decal of an opposing player on its helmets, but Western Michigan is showing some major class here.
For all those who had the opportunity to meet or interact with Sadler, it’s good to see that his legacy lives on. Other programs know the impact he had on Michigan State.
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Western Michigan earns some respect with these decals. Should be a good matchup on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing.