Spartans elect team captains

Not any surprises among the MSU captains: quarterback Kirk Cousins, offensive guard Joel Foreman and safety Trenton Robinson. In bold will be quotes from Mark Dantonio, which were provided by MSU.

It is the third year in a row Cousins has been elected captain. He will undoubtedly go down as one of the best leaders in MSU history.

“Kirk just has a way with people. Whether it’s joking around with them, being serious with them, sending a message at the Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon, or just standing in the locker room talking to somebody, he has a way of being very real and very caring about other people. That’s why you see him succeed as a leader. It was a great choice again by our players.”


Foreman, the former Milford offensive lineman, is heading into his fourth year as a starter on MSU's offensive line, leading in inexperienced bunch.

“Joel is a very positive person and has battled through adversity – he’s a guy who’s been there, done that. He’s one of the first guys in that first group that came here in 2007, so he’s seen it from A to Z, really. I think it’s very fitting and very well deserved for him to become a captain in his senior year. He’ll do an outstanding job.”

Robinson is the lone senior starter on what should be a strong secondary. He is expected to be one of two starting seniors on the defense.

“Trenton brings a lot of energy to whatever he does. I think last year he was seen as a leader as well on the defensive side of the ball. He’ll be a great captain. He’s a very sentimental person and has a lot of enthusiasm. There’s a lot to him as a man. This will propel him into great things for the rest of his life – he’s a special person.”

There will be a fourth captain that will rotate each game.

“We will have the same process as we did last year (rotating a fourth game captain among the unity council). We vote on the unity council periodically, probably around five or six times a year, so guys have to continue to lead, and if someone emerges as a leader, somebody has to step aside. The unity council is such an important representation of our football team, and they meet with me regularly. I think it’s important they all have a voice on Saturdays and have that opportunity to go out to midfield and say, ‘what am I going to do with this opportunity.’ It’s a good thing for our team.”

A big strength of last year's 11-2 squad was the leadership, from Cousins to Greg Jones to Aaron Bates. You won't know until they face adversity, but it would appear that leadership will again be a strength of the team.