Michigan State football names four best choices as 2019 captains

The season is almost here and the captains have officially been named for Michigan State football. The Spartans picked four ideal leaders.

When Michigan State names its captains, it’s usually a big deal. No, it shouldn’t matter to anyone outside of East Lansing, but ever since Connor Cook wasn’t selected as a captain in 2015 — his senior year — it’s made headlines.

So on Thursday when Michigan State selected its captains, everyone seemed to take notice and luckily there were no controversial selections — or omissions — this time around.

Brian Lewerke and Joe Bachie enter their second seasons as team captains while Raequan Williams and Kenny Willekes have earned their first honor. But for anyone who has been paying attention to the team over the past couple of years, the new selections of Willekes and Williams are more than earned.

Williams is one of the best defensive tackles in the country and Mark Dantonio has reiterated the fact that he wants to be the mayor of Chicago one day. He’s one of the best, most heartwarming stories on the team and his teammates look up to him.

The same can be said for Willekes, the former walk-on. He rose up the ranks and became a leader on the defensive line and an All-American with NFL aspirations as a junior.

Then you have a third-year starting quarterback. Lewerke is looking to get back to the basics in 2019 and return to his 2017 form when he broke out, putting his horrid junior season in the rearview mirror. He was a captain last year and there have been talks about him even taking steps in the right direction this offseason both vocally and with his play.

Lastly, Bachie has been a leader for a few years and a team captain for two. He is the main leader on a loaded defense and isn’t afraid to call teammates out when they slip up as well as take accountability for himself.

Michigan State made the right choices for its four captains which is somewhat rare since the Spartans usually have three. That just shows how special this year could be.