Mike Sadler mourned by MSU athletics, fans
Fatal crash also killed Nebraska punter Sam Foltz. Colby Delahoussaye, a senior LSU kicker and second passenger, gets released from hospital with minor injuries.
LANSING -- Former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler died in a car crash in Wisconsin late Saturday night, according to police. He was 24.
MSU football coach Mark Dantonio confirmed the news at 2:34 p.m. on his Twitter page with the following message: "He gave us all so much in so little time. Our thoughts & prayers are with him & his family. #RIPMikeSadler."
Sadler made a lasting impact on the football field, in the classroom and the community, Dantonio said later in a statement.
"The world has lost a rising star who dreamed big and was accomplishing those dreams, one after another," Dantonio said. "He was one of those people that brightened your day. I always say to try and be a light, and he truly was a light in this world.
"We will all miss him dearly. Once again, we find out that life is so fragile. The world will be a sadder and lonelier place without Mike Sadler in it. May he rest in peace."
Sam Foltz, the senior punter for the University of Nebraska football team also died in the crash, police said.
The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department confirmed to the Lansing State Journal that Sadler and 22-year-old Samuel N. Foltz from Grand Island, Nebraska, died in a single-vehicle crash that occurred 11:43 p.m. Saturday in Merton. Sadler was the driver, Jennifer Wallschlaeger, the sheriff's department's public information officer, said.
The vehicle had been traveling westbound on Beaver Lake Road in Merton, a rural, residential area with a 35 mph speed limit, when it lost control on wet pavement, left the roadway and struck a tree, according to police. Sadler was working at a kicking camp near Waukesha, according to a MSU press release.
Wallschlaeger, said neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be a factor in the crash -- only excessive speed and weather conditions.
Police said both Sadler and Foltz were pronounced dead at the scene. A second passenger, identified by police as Colby J. Delahoussaye, 21, from New Iberia, Louisiana, was transported to Waukesha Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Louisiana State University posted on its athletics website the Delahoussaye, a senior kicker for the Tigers, was treated for "unspecified minor injuries" and later released.
Les Miles, LSU's coach, said Sunday in a statement he grieves for the families of Sadler and Foltz. "This isn't supposed to happen to young people who have so much to live for," Miles said.
A man who answered the phone Sunday afternoon at a Grand Rapids home listed under Sadler's name declined comment.
Former MSU teammate Travis Jackson said Sadler represented everything Dantonio looks for in a Spartan and that he had built a resume and reputation that gave him limitless career potential.
"Mike was really good at making people feel special -- even if it was a short 30-second conversation or one over an hour," said Jackson, a former All-Big Ten offensive lineman. “He was one of those guys that could've been a doctor, a lawyer, a politician. I even thought he could be a president one day.”
Ken Mannie, MSU's head strength and conditioning coach, shared with the LSJ that Sadler always appeared motivated and organized to succeed both on and off the field. Mannie said Sadler never appeared to get down on himself.
"As soon as you met Mike Sadler and talked to him, you fell in love with him in about five minutes," Mannie said.
Craig Jarrett, a former MSU punter wrote on his Twitter page that he plans to lead a Mike Sadler Scholarship Fund. "Don't know details yet, but his memory will live on," Jarrett wrote. "I got the first $100 MSU PunterFam."
Mike Vorkapich, a MSU strength and conditioning coach, wrote "Count me in" in response. Several fans also replied online with support.
Mark Hollis, MSU's athletics director, said the deaths of Sadler and Foltz marked "a sad day for Michigan State, Nebraska and all of college football." Hollis described Sadler as "the epitome of a student-athlete" who had a quick wit that "brought a smile on everyone's face."
"On a personal note, he was more than just a student-athlete to me; he was a friend," Hollis said. "His ability to make everyone feel special was but just one of his many special qualities. And that's the reason his impact will be felt by everyone who knew him for years to come."
Sadler, who started at MSU from 2011-14, was also the school's first four-time Academic All-American. The Grand Rapids native attended Forest Hills Northern High School. In 2014, he was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy for the country’s top scholar-athlete. He was set to start at Stanford Law School in the fall.
Sadler finished his MSU career ranked among the football program's all-time leaders in punts (second with 268), punting yards (second with 11,307) and punting average (sixth at 42.2), according to MSUSpartans.com. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in applied engineering sciences in May 2013 with a 3.97 grade-point average. He also received a master's degree in public policy two years later with a 3.84 graduate GPA.
Sadler had a tryout for the Tampa Bay Bucs in May of 2015.
Sadler was popular on social media and known for his humor, and his passing led to an outpouring of support from former MSU teammates and people around the program. His Twitter account with the handle @Sadler_3 generated over 26,000 followers before his death.
Eric Lacy is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at 517-377-1206 or elacy@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricLacy.
