Michigan State football: Video highlights from Monday’s MSU practice
Here are two minutes of video highlights from Michigan State’s football practice on Monday, Aug. 11
EAST LANSING — David Santiago would stop what he was doing to stand at attention at a moment’s notice.
Even if it was during the middle of football practice – the standard procedure at his previous school: Air Force.
“During practice in the afternoons, they’d stop for ‘Retreat’ and they’d take down the flag and they’d play the national anthem,” the former cadet recalled. “So we’d always stand there at attention. That was something different.”
Santiago left the rigors of military life after two seasons to take flight with Michigan State football in January, one of four transfer defensive ends added in the offseason. And the Spartans hope the discipline and lessons the sophomore edge rusher absorbed at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, will boost their pass rush and increase sack totals.
Without the stopping and starting.
Joe Rossi’s defense feasted on opposing quarterbacks early last season before starving as the competition level increased. MSU finished tied for 111th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 19 sacks in going 5-7 and missing a bowl for the third straight season in the debut of Rossi and coach Jonathan Smith. Of those sacks, 15 came in the first four games, with a drought of more than six games and nearly 386 minutes of football without one.
“Obviously, you’re not gonna be successful with that kind of production,” Santiago said after practice Thursday, Aug. 15. “That was our message – just harassing the quarterback mentally and physically, getting hits on them. … Just doing your job and making the play.”
The Spartans got 8½ of their sacks from defensive ends, but they lost starter…
Source link : https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2025/08/16/david-santiago-michigan-state-football-preseason-camp-2025-defensive-ends-sacks-chad-wilt-joe-rossi/85680145007/
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Publish date : 2025-08-16 10:03:00
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