When Todd Shaya turned 40 this year, his dad decided to get him a present somewhat out of the ordinary.
Shaya received a chance to take part in a two-day Spartan Football Fantasy Camp held Sunday and Monday at Spartan Stadium.
"It was a huge surprise to me when my dad gave me the news about three weeks ago," Shaya said. "He knew what a huge MSU football fan I am, and to get a chance to come out here and experience what these players go through, it's just a huge thrill for me."
Shaya was one of 15 participants who attended the second annual fantasy camp. The cost of the event was $1,200 per participant, which included overnight lodging at the Kellogg Center. In addition, the entire MSU football coaching staff attended and was in charge of running the participants through drills and skills competitions.
While the drills were set up to simulate a typical Spartans football practice, the focus was on creating an enjoyable atmosphere for participants.
Suited up in shiny cleats and MSU jerseys with nameplates on the back, the participants dove for balls and spun past defenders in attempt to imitate their favorite Spartan players.
The camp was open to anyone 18 or older, although Shaya was one of the youngest at the event. The sight of middle- and older-age men running through cones and pushing each other around had the coaches chuckling.
However, the biggest thrill of the camp came Monday morning, when the campers had their names introduced by the public address announcer. First-year head coach Mark Dantonio was the first to greet the men as they ran through the Spartan Stadium tunnel while slapping hands with the rest of the coaching staff.
"It's exciting to come out here and be a part of this," Dantonio said. "You really get a sense of how important it is for people to be involved in this university. This is my first time taking part in this and it has been a great feeling to be back here in East Lansing. Every day I'm here reminds me of the future that is coming, and then also of the past that has been here, so this is a great new experience for us."
The second day of camp started with a series of stretches, then players lined up for multiple running drills. Coaches led demonstrations of how to execute each drill properly and the participants would follow. Many first-timers looked toward camp veterans for guidance in the drills.
Sixty-eight-year-old Dick Fullmer was familiar with the workouts, as he was one of the returning participants from last year's camp. He describes the camp as being a truly fascinating experience.
"My first year here I was a little apprehensive and didn't really know what to expect," Fullmer said. "Now I realize that what you do with this experience is you live the lives of a college football player for two days. You learn what football life is really like behind the scenes and in the locker room and everything that goes into playing college football."
Both Fullmer and Shaya have full intentions of attending the fantasy camp next year. Shaya enjoyed himself so much that he vowed to get his friends and brother to attend the event as well.
While the practice session was filled with jokes and laughter, it was evident the participants were enjoying themselves and learning some things about the game of football as well. The event showed fans the game of football can be enjoyable, and brought a sense of pride to the MSU campus.
"Today, these guys got an opportunity to experience our coaches and just being in this atmosphere is going to bring everyone a little bit closer," Dantonio said. "Any time you can experience something firsthand that our players experience, (it) brings a passion to how you feel about this university."
Sean Merriman can be reached at merrim22@msu.edu.
