GREEN & WHITE FOOTBALL

'Who wore it best' at Michigan State: No. 17

Lansing State Journal

Michigan State's Tyriq Thompson celebrates his tackle for a loss during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Ever see a number on a Michigan State football jersey and think of all the great players to wear it? Me, too. In this daily series, I’ll give you my take on which Spartan football player was the best ever to wear each number. The criteria are simple: How did he perform at MSU? And what kind of impact did he have on the program?

No. 17 – Sidney Wagner

Guard, 1933-35, Lansing.

Michigan State's Sidney Wagner was the eighth selection of the Detroit Lions in the first-ever NFL Draft in 1939.

Résumé

No stats available

Why Wagner?

Michigan State All-American Sidney Wagner didn’t wear a helmet. The Lansing Central graduate also played on the first Spartans team to beat Michigan in consecutive seasons.

Do I need to say more?

The 1934 win over the Wolverines was the first for MSU since 1916. During his senior season, the Spartans once again knocked off their in-state rival, setting off such a celebration that Monday classes were canceled so the party could continue.

Known as an aggressive tackler and relentless blocker, Wagner was one of the top linemen in the nation in 1935. That season, he was named a consensus All-American at the guard position for the 6-2 Spartans.

Sidney Wagner, a Lansing Central graduate, was an All-American guard at Michigan State in 1934.

After being honored, the United Press wrote: "Wagner is a ball hawk, a dependable leader of interference and rated by teammates and rivals as the fastest lineman today. Even in defeat, Wagner was great." He was the fourth player in program history to be named an All-American.

Wagner was the Detroit Lions’ eighth pick of the first-ever NFL draft in 1936. In 1939, he left the league to pursue a career in engineering.

Hawaii's B.J. Fruean is tackled by MSU's David Stanton in the second quarter.

Who else wore No. 17?

Wayne Benson (HB/FB, 1950-51), Willie Bouyer (WR, 1986-88), Eddie Brown (WR/DB, 1989-90), Shon Hart (DB, 1994-95), Alexander Ketzko (T, 1938-39), Denis Lavelle (QB, 1982), Lawrence Lukasik (DB, 1964-66), Mark MacFarland (WR, 1990-92), Roderick Maples (CB, 2001-04), Kevin Muma (K, 2010-13), David Stanton (DT, 2005-06), Claude Streb (G, 1929-30), Tyriq Thompson (LB, current), William Triplett (TB/QB, 1968-70), Hendricks Young (HB, 1958)

Contact Cody Tucker at (517) 377-1070 or cjtucker@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @CodyTucker_LSJ.