Dantonio: Demetrius Cooper working to remain with Michigan State football
CHICAGO – Demetrius Cooper is back with Michigan State’s football program.
Almost.
Coach Mark Dantonio said Monday at Big Ten Media Days that the senior defensive end is in “stage 2 program” of a four-stage process to resume playing for the Spartans. Cooper did not play in the April 1 spring game. The 6-foot-6, 253-pound senior from Chicago was accused of spitting in the face of an East Lansing Parking and Code Enforcement officer’s face on Oct. 30 last year, took a plea deal that would drop it to a littering fine in November if he followed his bond conditions. However, Cooper was alleged to have violated his bond conditions and received a stricter probation.
Dantonio also said he stripped Cooper of his football scholarship, though Cooper finished his undergraduate degree this summer after completing two final classes.
“He should be congratulated for that,” Dantonio said. “Stage 2 now, which he is in, goes until he reports to camp (Sunday) – no problems, no issues. Then there’s Stage 3. In Stage 3, he earns back his scholarship. If he’s able to that, he’ll maybe be able to make it to Stage 4.
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“In all of those stages, he’s accountable for his actions on and off the field and he’s supervised on and off the field. There’s a plan in place. But I think the best thing we can do – and this is really brought forward by other people – the best thing we can do is try and prepare a young man for his future.”
Cooper had 23 tackles with 2.5 sacks last season and has played 38 career games for MSU. The fifth-year senior was a starter at defensive end last season and is projected to maintain the role this fall after Dantonio dismissed both Auston Robertson and Josh King following charges brought against them in two separate sexual assault cases.
Dantonio also said cornerback Tyson Smith, who reportedly suffered a stroke last season, has been cleared to play and is on the roster for this fall.
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free onAppleandAndroiddevices!