Emotional Mark Dantonio: No moment was too big for Mike Sadler
CHICAGO — The two thousand nine Big Ten media day was finished and Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio was driving home with his wifey, Becky, when they stopped at McDonald’s.
They left with more than a duo of Big Macs.
While at the McDonald’s, Dantonio received a phone call from a senior-to-be punter from Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, who informed Dantonio he was committing to MSU.
“Hey, we’ve got an unbelievable fellow coming to Michigan State,” Dantonio told his wifey.
He didn’t know the half of it.
That unbelievable man was Mike Sadler, who flawlessly treated MSU’s punting chores and became MSU’s very first four-time Academic All-America.
But Dantonio spoke about Sadler with tears in his eyes Tuesday at the Big Ten media day.
The death of the two left a pall over the two-day event with every coach, at one time or another, sending their condolences to the families of the players and the schools.
It was a difficult moment for Dantonio, who learned of Sadler’s death Sunday afternoon.
He gave us all so much in so little time. Our thoughts & prayers are with him & his family. #RIPMikeSadlerpic.twitter.com/pVZbkARNi4
“Mike was about life,” he said. “Mike would want to be remembered as a person who embraced life. He wouldn’t want me sitting here and tearing up right now. He’d want me to be strong and talk about him the way he was and who he is.”
And Sadler was something.
That two thousand nine afternoon Dantonio told his wifey about Sadler’s academic prowess. He entered MSU with thirty six advanced placement credits and after his very first semester in East Lansing, he was a junior academically.
Sadler graduated with a Trio.97 grade point average, earned a master’s degree and was going to attend law school at Stanford.
Share This Movie
While he was a serious student, Sadler was also a youthful man with an incredible sense of humor and an amazing sense of timing.
“There’s story after story of him just lighting up a room,” Dantonio said. “Saying something sort of funny – not sort of funny, real funny – or not taking himself serious our jabbing somebody else.”
But once he set foot on the field, Sadler was a terrific competitor and much more than just an All-America punter. He held for field goals and extra points and absolutely loved taking off on a fake punt.
May you run as many fake punts as you wish in heaven. #RIPMikeSadlerpic.twitter.com/mmJawgSmIl
“There was a very competitive side as well,” Dantonio said. “That stud was an outstanding player. He could drop a punt down inwards the Ten. I think he did it maybe nineteen times in 2013. No moment was too big a moment for him. Whether it was calling his number for a fake punt or a fake field purpose or being the holder, he was steadying the nerves of somebody else for a big kick. No moment was too big for him.”
The moment Dantonio learned of Sadler’s death was almost too big for him, as well as the members of his staff.
Over his ten years at MSU, Dantonio has lost only five assistants to other coaching jobs, so all of his assistants knew Sadler well and Monday was a day of healing for the staff.
Share This Movie
“I almost didn’t even have a staff meeting, I almost cancelled it all,” he said. “But I thought that if we came together and we were together that together we could budge forward. So I think all of us sort of helped each other and be able to do that.”
Dantonio has deep religious beliefs, but said they weren’t shaken by Sadler’s death.
“No, I think that life is very fragile,” he said. “We see a lot of tragedy in this world and I don’t necessarily always ask: ‘Why?’ I always ask: ‘What’s the next step and how do we heal?’ “
The healing process will be even more difficult for Sadler’s parents. Dantonio spoke with them Sunday and again Monday.
“When I spoke with his mom and dad Sunday the trouble was very clear,” he said. “When I spoke to his mom and dad (Monday) there was conviction and there was strength in their tone.”
He also spoke at length Monday with Nebraska coach Mike Riley, who has to deal with the loss of a current player.
Also at the camp was current MSU punter Jake Hartbarger, who was almost in the same car that night with Sadler.
“He’s shook, but he’s OK,” Dantonio said. “We’ll take care of Jake Hartbarger.”
Share This Gallery
The MSU players are on break this week, so Dantonio hasn’t had much contact with them. But MSU will have distress counselors available to speak with the players when they come back to campus next week.
When the players come back, they will talk about one of the most popular players at MSU for a multiplicity of reasons.
“Mike had a bounty of making everyone around him feel special,” Dantonio said. “Regardless of where you were in that day or what you had dealt with that day – good or bad – he was going to find a way to make you smile.”
Dantonio did manage a smile when reminded of the story of when Sadler was named All-America punter and dreamed to request a picture of himself running the ball on a fake punt instead of a picture of him punting.
“That’s what I’ll reminisce about Mike,” he said, wiggling his head. “His bounty for life, his love of life and his competitiveness in the classroom, on the football field, off the field.”