'Who wore it best' at Michigan State: No. 52

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. 52 – Dick Tamburo

Center, 1950-52, New Kensington, Penn.

Résumé

1950: 2,424 team rushing yards, 803 team passing yards, 269.3 team rushing yards per game, 27 team rushing touchdowns

1951: 2,984 team rushing yards, 982 team passing yards, 293.9 team rushing yards per game, 28 team rushing touchdowns

1952: 2,452 team rushing yards, 1,406 team passing yards, 272.4 team rushing yards per game, 29 team rushing touchdowns

Total: 7,860 team rushing yards, 3,191 team passing yards, 278.5 team rushing yards per game, 84 team rushing yards

Why Tamburo?

Dick Tamburo only lost one game during his college career.

He won twice as many national championships.

Tamburo, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound center for the Spartans, opened holes for some of the best players in program history: Tom Yewcic, Don McAuliffe, Le Roy Bolden, Al Dorow, and others. Seven different media outlets named Tamburo an All-American after his senior season in 1952.

Michigan State College amassed nearly 8,000 team rushing yards when Tamburo was on the line. Spartan tailbacks and quarterbacks followed No. 52 into the end zone 84 times during his three-year tenure.

Tamburo was named team MVP for the 9-0 Spartans that season. It was the second consecutive 9-0 campaign and national title for MSU under legendary coach, Biggie Munn.

The big man from Pennsylvania wasn’t only a force on the offensive line, he also played on the top-ranked rush defense in the country. His highlight game on defense came in 1952 during a 21-3 win over rival Notre Dame when Tumburo recovered three Irish fumbles in the third quarter.

Tumburo went on to become an assistant coach at Arizona State and Iowa, before taking on an administrative role at Kent State and Illinois. He became a first-time athletic director at Texas Tech in 1978. Following a two-year stint in Lubbock, he moved on to ASU where he served as AD from 1980-85.

His last full-time AD role was at Missouri from 1988-92.

Who else wore No. 52?

Dillon Alexander (DE, 2016), Eric Andino (LB/TE, 2004-07), Matt Beard (C, 1995-96), Derek Bunch (OLB, 1980-84), Gerald Drake (HB, 1938-39), Denzel Drone (DE, 2010-13), Morgan Justice (C, 1969), Mathew Keller (OG, 1987-90), Jason Krueger (LB, 1996), Robert McCurry (C, 1946-48), Robert Mills (C, 1971-73), Mike Neal (C, 1996-99), Steven Otis (LB, 1976-79), Avery Paxson (C, 1933), Andrew Pendy (LB/FB, 2008-09), Taybor Pepper (SN, 2012-15), Dedrick Roper (DE, 2001), Clifton Ryan (DE/DT, 2003-06), Chris Scott (LB, 1990), Lawrence Smith (C, 1966-67)

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

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