Before they kick off, Michigan State needs to announce their team’s captains for the upcoming season.

Mark Dantonio, a man entering his 12th season as the Spartans head coach talked about the level of leadership this team had as a whole but went with Brian Lewerke, Khari Willis, and Joe Bachie because “It’s a great representative of our football team and I think they’ll do an outstanding job.” He ends it by saying “Phase one is down, and phase two begins here on Sunday. We’ll give them a couple of days off here to get their legs back, and we’ll take it from there”.

Michigan State fans know Coach Dantonio believes in his player’s ability to perform on and off the field, and while there were many candidates for captain, these are the men who he believes can lead the Spartans to victory in more ways than one.

What The Captains Had To Say

Sports is everything to some people. Whether the person is a fan, a player, or a coach, athletics can take up a significant portion of their time and life. These players dedicate a lot to their respective crafts. They eat, breathe, and sleep for their teammates. So when fans get a chance to hear what is going through their minds, it is always very insightful because they are at the forefront of it all.

“Both players have a lot of playing experience, but they both have big play-making ability. They have confidence; they have swagger, they have everything that you need including leader intangibles,” said Khari Willis of his new co-captains. Willis wanted everyone to know just how much he respects these two and how he believes they were being groomed for captain all along regardless of their positions on the football field.

When his co-captains come to practice, they command the room and expect the best out of their guys. It is precisely what makes them great because they have always shown the ability to lead in certain situations and now they have opportunity to do it as a unit.

Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

“I’d go to war with them,” said Brian Lewerke. “I love both of them, and I think they are a perfect fit for a captain and leadership role.” It is clear these players genuinely care for one another.

They have a sense of brotherhood that few programs get to experience. In football there is always going to be a certain level of love, trust, and respect that teammates need to have for one another and Michigan State is only getting stronger in that area.

The Spartans are receiving these next two days off, to rest up for Sunday. One player, in particular, had this to say about his time away, “I need those two days off. Probably just Fortnite, to be honest, maybe get a pizza tonight.” If people did not know Joe Bachie before, they certainly do now.

His cheerful personality off the field shines through and shows the rest of the non-athletic world he loves greasy food and video games. So often we glorify college football players when in reality their days off are a lot like the people cheering for them.

The Rotating Captain

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Dantonio confirmed that he would rotate one of his leadership group members into every game so they can be the fourth captain.

Let’s go through and predict who those 12 players will end up being (one for every game of the regular season). Then (down in the comments) our readers can create lists of their own, and we’ll see what our fans come up with.

• Felton Davis III
• LJ Scott
• Byron Bullough
• Andrew Dowell
• Justin Layne
• David Dowell
• Tyler Higby
• Raequan Williams
• Mike Panasiuk
• Josiah Scott
• Darrell Stewart Jr.
• Matt Sokol

Don’t forget to try it for yourself down in the comments!