Pat Fitzgerald has perfect Michigan State legend stop by camp to speak to the team

Although he may not look that old, Pat Fitzgerald has been coaching football for a long time. So long, in fact, that he’s now bringing back Michigan State players that he coached against during the Mark Dantonio era to speak to the team.

Fitzgerald has already brought Dantonio back around and Ken Mannie, the former strength and conditioning coach, has also been back to speak to the team.

But bringing back former players is a different level of motivating for student-athletes. It’s one thing to bring back former coaches, but bringing back players who helped turn Michigan State into a national powerhouse a little over a decade ago usually resonates with the current guys who are trying to get the program back to where it belongs.

So choosing Greg Jones to speak to the team after Tuesday’s practice was perfect.

Not only was Jones one of the first stars of the Dantonio era who helped lift the program off the ground before handing the keys to new co-defensive coordinator Max Bullough. He understands what it’s going to take to get things headed back in the right direction and you have to tip your cap to Fitzgerald for understanding the importance of keeping Spartan legends around.

Jones was a great pick to come talk to the team, especially since his first-ever start at Michigan State came against a Fitzgerald-coached Northwestern team.

Student athletes want to hear from school alumni who have seen the mountaintop so they can pick their brain about how to get back there. Jones has seen it and now he’s sharing that vision.

Who else should Pat Fitzgerald get to speak to the team?

Jones was a great choice for the aforementioned reasons and he probably resonated massively with Bullough and his linebacker room. Surely he spent some time with that group at practice.

If Fitzgerald decides to bring back a guy from every position group to speak to the team (which would be a really cool tradition to start every year), here’s who he should consider:

OL: Jack Allen or Jack Conklin
DL: Will Gholston, Shilique Calhoun, or Kenny Willekes
DB: Darqueze Dennard
RB: TJ Duckett
TE: Josiah Price
QB: Connor Cook
WR: Aaron Burbridge

Yes, this list was made with intense amounts of 2013 Rose Bowl team nostalgia, if you couldn’t tell.

It’s been awesome to see Fitzgerald embracing Michigan State culture and respecting it enough to keep it rolling unlike the previous two coaching staffs who seemingly distanced themselves from it.

Players, coaches, and alumni are all buying into what Fitzgerald is selling.

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