We've heard the phrase "many athletes will go pro in something other than sports" and Michigan State football linebacker Cal Haladay is the perfect representation of that.
After a five-year career with Michigan State football that was as up-and-down as it gets, Haladay has reportedly opted to pursue a career in chemistry instead of football, where he already has a job lined up, per a team spokesperson.
LB Cal Haladay not taking part in MSU football’s pro day, as the graduate with a degree in chemistry has a job lined up (per team spokesman).
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) March 12, 2025
Haladay came in as a three-star recruit in 2020, recruited by Mark Dantonio and signed with a class that became the first to play for new head coach Mel Tucker. He went on to become a Freshman All-American and he shuffled in and out of the starting lineup throughout his career.
While he was known for his no-gloves look and working on a farm when he grew up, he had some major career highlights than all Spartan fans remember, such as the pick-six that secured Michigan State's comeback in the Peach Bowl vs. Pitt as well as the pick-six against Indiana in that same season that locked up that win.
Haladay was often criticized for not being big enough, not being athletic enough, and being a little too slow to start at linebacker in the Big Ten, but he still finished his career with 365 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, four sacks, four forced fumbles, three interceptions, and three defensive touchdowns.
Good for him for landing a job in the chemistry field after putting in five years of work on the football field. That just shows how good of a student he was on top of being a decent linebacker.
Along with Haladay, Tommy Schuster and Zach Gillespie also opted to skip Pro Day, likely assuming that they, too, will be going pro in something other than sports.