Sports: MSU Football Program Achieves Success

FOOTBALL PROGRAM ACHIEVES SUCCESS

There are two ways to judge a football program

1) wins and losses

2) academic success.

MSU's program, under head coach George Perles, boasts major success along both fronts.

Consider: Over the past six years, MSU has a Big Ten record of 33-13-2. That amounts to a 71 percent winning record. During this period, MSU has finished first, second, third, tied for first, tied for sixth, and third. In other words, MSU has captured one championship, one co-championship, one runner-up finish and two third-place finishes in the past six years. That record is second only to Michigan's in the Big Ten. Last season, MSU also boasted 20 former players on NFL rosters. That's second to none (for the second straight year). Michigan and Ohio State tied for second place with 17 each. MSU's stellar record on the field has not been achieved at the expense of academic standards.

On the contrary: In the past 10 years, corresponding with George Perles' tenure as head coach, Northwestern has had the most Academic All-Big Ten performers, with 49. MSU is in second place, with 48. Just for the record, Michigan has had 29. Over the last three years, MSU leads everyone in the Big Ten with 29 Academic All-Big Ten performers. Indiana is second with 25. Northwestern has had 13. And just for the record, Michigan has had 11.

This past season, MSU boasted seven Academic All-Big Ten performers, one short of the league leaders. Three of MSU's players--sophomore receiver Mill Coleman, senior receiver Mark MacFarland, and junior safety Steve Wasylk--made the national ballot for Academic All-America. Wasylk, whose 114 tackles in 1992 broke the MSU season's record for a defensive back and whose 3.95 GPA in civil engineering tops the team, was named Academic All-America. MSU alumni and friends can be proud that their football team has achieved success on an off the field.