As Jeff Smoker gallantly climbed to the top of the conductor's stand and led the band in a jovial rendition of the "Michigan State Fight Song," he realized he was back.
The turmoil of last season's blowup was behind him, and a new vision of MSU football had begun.
"My time is almost up," the senior quarterback said. "It was almost up already, and it will be up soon. There's a time coming up when I won't be able to play college football, let alone stand in front of the band members and lead the band."
In fact, Smoker was never quite sure he would get back to this point. And without football, he was not even sure what would have happened.
"Honestly, I don't know where I would be," Smoker said. "Maybe I wouldn't be in school and I wouldn't be alive. I'm glad I was given this opportunity to play college football and get an education."
Smoker's comeback from his battle with substance abuse is just one part of coach John L. Smith's plan to change the attitude of a program that fell short of its promise last season.
He is starting the tradition of singing the MSU fight song with the students near the Corner Blitz section.
"We want to circle the stadium and high-five all the little kids if they want to hang around. And make it over to the band and sing the school song, the fight song, and then come in," Smith said. "That's part of us trying to realize it's not us. It's more. It's a school. It's the other students as well. It's the little kids in the stands."
Smith slapped Smoker on the face at the news conference after the game, a weird tradition of his, to show his appreciation for what the quarterback has gone through.
With individual talent, but the lack of a team philosophy, the Spartans imploded last season, despite having a few of the top players in college football.
Smith eliminated the No. 1 jersey and went back to the roots of MSU football with Spartan logos on the helmet and Michigan State on the front of the jerseys.
Smith also wants to celebrate the Spartans' past by bringing back former players in events like Saturday's celebration of the 1,000th game at MSU against Rutgers, the birthplace of college football.
"We want them to come back and be a part of who we are," Smith said. "Because they are a part of this. Because (the tradition) is going to get bigger and we're going to make it bigger. We don't have what we need. When we get something, let's make a great museum to celebrate it."
Smith wants the Spartans to play like a team. He chastised players this week for celebrating by themselves and looking to the stands. He'd rather see players celebrate with their teammates.
"He's trying to change things around here and add to the tradition," junior linebacker Ronald Stanley said. "He just pays attention to detail a lot, and I think that's good. It helps us realize that we wouldn't be here without them. It helps us pay attention to the details, too."
Those changes begin with small things, like how the team practices on a day-to-day basis.
"The main thing is how we condition in the middle of practice," Stanley said. "Last year, we ran at the end. I think that has been a good thing for us, because it helps us finish the game in the fourth quarter."
