On Campus — Favorite MSU Alumni

For every 500 MSU athletes who graduate with honor and class, there’s one Plaxico Burress.

When the New York Giants wide receiver recently shot himself in the leg and was arrested on felony gun charges, I saw some variation of this headline in local papers: “Ex-MSU star shoots self!”

Now you and I both know that most, if not all, Spartans alumni are smart enough not to shoot themselves. It’s news like Burress’ quick trigger that gives East Lansing a little bit of a black eye — not to mention fellow MSU wide receivers Andre “Bad Moon” Rison (unpaid child support), Mark Ingram (bank fraud and money laundering) and wide receiver Charles Rogers (effort fraud and failed marijuana laundering).

But for all the negative press surrounding the former MSU star, this is a happy place for Spartans.

So for today’s list, Plaxico is put in the past. Here are my favorite Spartans athletics alumni who graduated from MSU, based both on athletic performance and personal character:

1. Basketball guard Steve Smith — The NBA player and Spartan from the late 1980s was a solid pro player, but Smith has made his name in what he has given back to MSU. An academic building is named after Smith’s mother and he has given millions to the university.

2. Football defensive end Bubba Smith — Maybe it’s the surname “Smith” that makes you a successful MSU athlete and one of my favorites. Or maybe it’s that you had your own chant of “Kill, Bubba, Kill!” and acted in “Police Academy” movies.

3. Hockey goaltender Ryan Miller — Although he was only the second member of the Miller family to win the Hobey Baker Award (cousin Kip snagged it in 1990), Ryan has obtained the biggest contract ($30 million), started a foundation for families with cancer patients and founded a clothing store in East Lansing. Take that, Kip.

4. Football wide receiver/baseball outfielder Kirk Gibson — Gibby has been an MSU alum and Michigan native through-and-through. Although he only played one season of baseball in a Spartans uniform, Gibson is one of the program’s most notable products in the Majors and has returned to the Tigers in many capacities.

5. Basketball forward Greg Kelser — “Special K” won a national title at MSU (with a little bit of Magic) and had a serviceable NBA career before getting behind the microphone. There, Kelser has become a basketball staple, mixing a classy tone, solid game analysis and an occasional spark of personality (need I remind you?) to become one of the profession’s best.

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:More reprints »

Sean Cook / The State News

Gov. Jennifer Granholm speaks to a crowd about the Michigan Promise Scholarship during a rally Wednesday morning outside the Administration Building. Granholm is touring colleges in Michigan to discuss the scholarship.

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