Delvon Roe to Retire Due to Injury

Delvon is the definition of a warrior. I wish him luck in his future as an actor and a father.

Roe certainly deserves a lot of praise. But the bigger thing for me right now is the implications this has for the season.

We really need Nix and Payne to step up this season more than ever and now Im anxious to hear what Byrds status is since he’s a big body. Any developments there?

for not being able to finish his career on the hardwood. But from everything I’ve ever read about him, he’s a stand-up, class guy who will be a great father & professional in acting or whatever he ends up doing.

I love this quote, and I’m sure everybody at TOC & in the entire Spartan Nation does, too:

“I will always be a Spartan. The support of everyone in the University and the fan base has left an impression that will last a lifetime. It remains my goal to walk across the court on senior night.”

He deserved better health-wise. I totally understand why he wants to call it a day. Thinking long term, another year of pain-filled basketball probably isn’t worth hobbling yourself for life. He really did define toughness – I hope he realizes how much we respect the commitment and hard work he put in and the pain he was willing to deal with to help the team achieve some great things.

it would be awful to continue to put so much more strain on his knee and risk something more permanent. it looks like his acting career is going good so far, and his head seems to be in the right place.

best wishes to delvon.

All talking about how great a kid Roe is. And especially when you look at who they’re from (Dickie V, Andy Katz, Jay Bilas, etc), it couldn’t make me more proud to have him rep our school.

I am not so certain that you read the website, Mr. Roe. But if you do. Best of luck to you. Making the decision is rough, but so is the realization that permanent damage and an inability to walk by the time you are 40 makes this a right choice.

Again, best of luck.

Go Green, go white.

Good luck to him in the remainder of school and his career.

And it’ll always stay that way.

So maybe he’ll be a coach-in-training under Izzo’s tutelage?

The last thing Roe deserved was to have to make a decision like this. He gave, sacrificed, and powered through so much, all with the hope that it would be temporary and he would come out on the other side all the better. The former didn’t materialize, but the latter is certainly true. True Spartan toughness and grit. Johnson will always be the biggest superstar. Cleaves will always be the ultimate leader. Roe has set the standard for guts and grit, forever.

To paraphrase Nas…

Has anything good happened to this team since KL’s achilles tore?
Maybe the recruiting bonanza last summer but that was last summer.

I’m not surprised at the retirement, I mean all signs point to Delvon giving up bball for acting, but I thought that would happen after this season. This team could be something with his help.
I watched the Illinois gameday game and the 2nd half of the UCLA game recently and Delvon could be a force when his knees weren’t killing him. He’s very good attacking the rim off the dribble or cutting down the lane, not to mention his defense. Every once in a while we’d see flashes of the pre surgery Delvon that could run and jump with the best of them. I was looking forward to seeing more of that this season. It was obvious though that he could only do it in short bursts with great pain so I understand the decision.
I feel bad that he didn’t get to play without pain to show what he could really do.
I feel bad for the team that has to try to earn redemption without him. I’ll worry about who’s going to defend and rebound later though.
I guess it’s a good day to be Alex Gauna.

I’m glad they’re keeping him on scholarship – he’s earned it.

I wonder if Sherman still would have transferred had he known that there would be starter frontcourt minutes to redistribute.

Delvon’s body simply failed him.

His spirit and heart did not. The fact that he was able to play basketball at all after the microfracture surgery speaks to his incredible will and commitment.

We become so numb to watching players play through injury that we don’t appreciate enough just how difficult it is. The injury Delvon suffered, much like Kalin’s in its severity and possibly even worse, would make most of us have to walk with a cane. The fact that he played three years of college basketball at a high level is nothing short of amazing.

See you at the movies, Delvon. Thank you.

PP-TPW

Best wishes with everything else, and I’m glad we’re not kicking him to the curb.

Roe is the green standard for Spartans when it comes to toughness and determination.

Like others, I am a fan of his for life and wish him success in his future endeavors.

PP-TPW; No-one was ever tougher than Mr. Roe.

He always looked like he was playing his heart out, apparently in pain more often than anyone else knew.

Thanks for memories, Delvon Roe, and good luck to you and yours, always.

Delvon Roe’s career at MSU, though, showed that even high-level recruits can and should become Spartans to show their toughness and to help the team. Mike Kebler showed Spartan toughness despite being a walk-on. Delvon Roe showed similar toughness out of a player who was a five-star recruit and should, by all accounts, have been a one-year player in college. Izzo showed that these kids aren’t all about paychecks and glory, even after the Flintstones. And that, in 2011, will be Roe’s legacy. MSU basketball tough. To Roe’s future!

I have little to add beyond the great words others have expressed already. Delvon was the inspiration for my username on this site for making the most heads-up, split-second reaction of any basketball play I’ve ever witnessed. He will always be one of my all-time favorite Spartans. The discussion on how this will impact the season can wait for another day. Right now, let’s take a moment and appreciate the career of a Spartan Warrior cut short far too early.

One of the consummate Spartans.