Spartan sophomore linebacker Ronald Stanley isn’t an athlete of many words - never has been.
“He was a very, very quiet person,” said Saginaw High School head coach Don Durrett, who coached Stanley from 1997-2000. “He’s so quiet you overlook stuff. He was to himself, but a hard worker.”
But Stanley only is overlooked for so long before his play on the field warrants attention. In the 1999 state championship game, Stanley recorded 18 tackles in the 14-7 victory over Birmingham Brother Rice.
“He came out of nowhere,” Durrett said. “You just didn’t expect him to step up. Everybody on our team was surprised.
“Sky’s the limit for that fella. The more he learns, the better he’s going to get.”
Durrett said that game propelled him through his senior season and into MSU.
Stanley has a familiar story when it comes to his reasons for choosing the Spartans.
He said the decisions by Spartans linebacker Monquiz Wedlow, junior wide receiver Charles Rogers and cornerback Jeremiah McLaurin - all teammates at Saginaw High School - to play at MSU played major roles in his recruiting process.
Head coach Bobby Williams was the biggest influence, though.
“He reminded me a lot of my high school coach,” Stanley said. “I felt that he would give me a chance at Michigan State and he did.”
Since becoming a Spartan, not much has changed about Stanley. He still has the same work ethic as in high school. He follows running sprints with 10 to 15 minutes of jogging to stay in shape.
Although he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, the 6-foot, 220-pound linebacker worked during the off-season to drop his time to 4.46. Stanley might have plenty of chances to use that speed against California if the Spartans choose to blitz the quarterback.
MSU linebacker coach Danny Crossman said Stanley’s passion for the game shows everywhere - from the weight room to the practice field.
“Every day he steps on the field, he’s making major strides,” Crossman said. “The biggest thing is everything is so completely new to him.”
Although Stanley started 10 games as a true freshman, Crossman said he benefited from playing with former linebacker Josh Thornhill.
“This year, we’ve put more of that responsibility on him because we don’t have anybody like Josh to tell him,” Crossman said. “He’s got to recognize and realize more things and he’s done a good job of doing that.”
Stanley has made 14 tackles this season, which puts him at third on the team, behind the starting safeties, but is tops among members of the Spartans’ front seven.
“I feel more comfortable than I did last year,” he said. “I’ve learned the schemes that we run and I’ve just become more aware.”
Wedlow has known Stanley since junior high and said he always has been determined.
“We’re Saginaw boys,” Wedlow said. “We have played together all of our lives. He’s a great athlete. He’s fast, quick and he’s physical - that’s the thing I like about him most.”
Stanley said the chance to start at MSU during his freshman season has been the highlight of his career. But he said to look for him to make some more noise this season.
“That’s probably every high school player’s dream, coming out of high school and coming right into the spotlight,” he said.
“And I got that chance and that’s my highest point - so far.”
