Former MSU punter helps start scholarship to honor Sadler
It felt like a punch in the gut to Craig Jarrett on Sunday when he learned the news of Mike Sadler’s tragic death.
The former Michigan State punter then immediately started thinking of what he could do to help honor the legacy of a fellow Spartan punter.
A scholarship was one of Jarrett's first thoughts and that became a reality Wednesday with MSU’s announcement of the Mike Sadler Football Scholarship Fund.
Jarrett spearheaded getting the scholarship going through Twitter as a way to permanently honor Sadler, who was killed in a single-car crash Saturday in Wisconsin.
“We weren’t best friends by any means,” Jarrett said. “We were good friends. We were Spartan brothers. We had the fraternity of being punters at Michigan State. We bounced ideas during the season through texts and phone calls and Twitter and when I was there (in East Lansing) we hung out and did things. It wasn’t like I saw him every day.
“At the same time, when it happened, I was like I don’t want this down the road to be gone. I want it to live on. I want everybody to know he was a great player and even more than that. There’s not many punters that I know – I know most of them at Michigan State – that were academically as successful as he was. I was sitting around and thinking about what can I do to make sure his memory lives on and legend lives on.“
Jarrett had plenty of help after floating the scholarship idea on social media Sunday. He was in contact with MSU coach Mark Dantonio and others connected with the football program and with the Spartan Fund to turn his idea into a reality.
“It was a collaborative effort,” Jarrett said. “It wasn’t just me by any means.”
Dantonio said the scholarship is a way to forever connect Sadler with the Spartan football program.
"Mike was about life," Dantonio said in a statement. "He would want to be remembered as a person who embraced life. His wit, character, passion and competitiveness will live on through the establishment of this legacy scholarship fund."
Jarrett is exploring more ways to raise funds for the scholarship, which he expects to exceed its goal of raising $10,000 in its first year.
And Jarrett views his efforts as a fitting way to honor a person he developed a bond with and deeply respected.
“I have two sons and if I could model them to be someone when they grow up, my long snapper Tony Grant is one of the two and Mike Sadler is the other guy,” Jarrett said. “Those are how you want your sons to grow up – to be like them.”
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
How to donate
Contributions to the Mike Sadler Legacy Football Scholarship can be made online at spartanfund.net or by mailing contributions to: Michigan State University, 535 Chestnut Rd. Suit 200, East Lansing, MI, 48824-4005.