If there is a single reason that MSU will play in the Big Ten title game Saturday against Ohio State, this philosophy is it: get them here, find a spot later. The quest begins by seeking out certain physical traits — loads of fast-twitch muscle among them — then doubling back to gauge the personality that houses those physical gifts.
Narduzzi, and coach Mark Dantonio, don’t set out to recruit undersized players with the hope that they will bulk up and become all-conference performers. They search for particular characteristics. If a player happens to be on the light — or short — end of someone else’s size chart, well, too bad for them.
The more difficult pursuit is tracking down speed and skill without benefit of tradition.
That leads to places like Middletown, where players like Calhoun show potential but don’t rate as highly nationally because of certain size or competition metrics.
“We’ve got to find (players like that),” said Narduzzi, “we have no choice.”
Narduzzi has learned to study shoulders and hands and the way a player is put together in order to project size. When nature tricks him, that’s fine, too, and he repositions the player.
http://www.freep.com/article/20131206/SPORTS07/312060036/michigan-state-football-shilique-calhoun
Narduzzi, and coach Mark Dantonio, don’t set out to recruit undersized players with the hope that they will bulk up and become all-conference performers. They search for particular characteristics. If a player happens to be on the light — or short — end of someone else’s size chart, well, too bad for them.
The more difficult pursuit is tracking down speed and skill without benefit of tradition.
That leads to places like Middletown, where players like Calhoun show potential but don’t rate as highly nationally because of certain size or competition metrics.
“We’ve got to find (players like that),” said Narduzzi, “we have no choice.”
Narduzzi has learned to study shoulders and hands and the way a player is put together in order to project size. When nature tricks him, that’s fine, too, and he repositions the player.
http://www.freep.com/article/20131206/SPORTS07/312060036/michigan-state-football-shilique-calhoun
