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[ Saturday, Nov. 28, 1998 ]
Spartan speedster
Michigan State running back Sedrick Irvin paying dividends
By VITO FORLENZA
Collegian Staff Writer
He is often called the biggest recruit the school's football program has landed in its less-than-spectacular history. And he migrated north via a coin flip. While nearly every university in the country inquired about Miami High School running back Sedrick Irvin, Florida's No. 1 prospect at the time found it difficult to turn many of them down, verbally committing to six Div. I schools. Five of the six were regulars in the recruiting scene -- Miami, Florida State, Tennessee, Auburn and Ohio State. Somehow, lowly Michigan State, which was coming off a 6-5-1 campaign in Nick Saban's first season at the helm, was thrown into the mix. And somehow, the Spartan program remained on his list, as Irvin sheepishly admitted to coaches from all six schools that he'd committed to all of them, before finally declining some of the offers.
PHOTO: Shawn Knapp
Spartan tailback Sedrick Irvin outruns Penn State Hero Jason Collins last season.
On the day before he was forced to make a final, written decision, Irvin was badgered with all kinds of pressure from family and friends. Those close to him urged him to play in his home state -- possibly at Miami, where his cousin, Dallas Cowboy receiver Michael Irvin, had played. But Sedrick instead narrowed his choices to Auburn and Michigan State.
Pondering the assets of both, Irvin was unable to come to a conclusion. Sitting alone on a Miami beach, he grabbed a coin and let it decide his fate.
Michigan State came up two out of three times, and with the coin's final descent, Saban's Spartans were being mentioned among the nation's potential powerhouses.
"I wanted the opportunity to come in and play as a freshman," Irvin said. "For me, I wanted to come in and do whatever it took to take my team to a winning season. I wanted to help us go undefeated."
So how exactly did Michigan State obtain Irvin's services?
The quest to land the high-profile recruit started with assistant coach Charlie Baggett, who was responsible for recruiting Irvin. But with so many coaches seeking a chance to woo Irvin onto their respective campuses, Irvin's high school coach, Nigel Dunn, sifted through the schools, allowing only those ranked in the top 10 to meet with his star running back.
Obviously, Michigan State was not in that category. But Baggett developed a fine relationship with Dunn, who granted him time with Irvin.
Knowing Irvin's desires to start as a freshman, Baggett pitched to Irvin the opportunity to become an integral part of the Spartan offense almost immediately, whereas he likely would have to wait to establish himself at some of the other schools he was considering.
But when Irvin took his official visit to East Lansing, Mich., Spartan players and coaches thought he was disinterested in their program because he toured the facilities in a reserved manner. However, Irvin was simply absorbing what would prove to be his eventual surroundings.
Upon his permanent arrival at Michigan State, Irvin was promptly tossed into the Spartan lineup. And he did not disappoint.
In his first game wearing the green and white, Irvin pounded Big Ten foe Purdue for 162 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns.
"It just felt great to get onto the field," Irvin said. "I didn't put any pressure on myself. I just wanted to prove to the people of East Lansing what I was capable of. I just wanted to show what I could do."
That performance was just a shadow of what was to come throughout his Spartan career. In his initial season, Irvin set Michigan State freshman records for rushing (1,067) and touchdowns (18).
"A combination of things make Sedrick a special player," Spartan coach Nick Saban said. "His maturity level, both as a player and a person, is what has enabled him to come in and produce like he has early in his career."
He kept that momentum going last season, rushing for 1,270 and 13 touchdowns. But the most telling statistics of his potential came against Penn State in the Spartans' final home game.
In leading Michigan State to a 49-14 drubbing of Penn State, Irvin rushed for 238 yards on 28 carries along with three touchdowns. Irvin teamed with Marc Renaud, who gained an additional 203 yards and a touchdown, in establishing an NCAA record for most combined yards by two backs each rushing for more than 200 yards. Irvin and Renaud were the main reasons the Spartans managed to break the record for most rushing yards ever against Penn State, with 452.
"I took that performance very personally as a defensive player," Nittany Lion linebacker Brandon Short said. "To have two people rush for over 200 yards is almost unheard of. I didn't even think it was possible."
It was that mark that had the Lion defense answering questions as to whether it had to reevaluate itself coming into this season.
But Irvin's dominance needs no reevaluation.
Last week against Illinois, Irvin surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing plateau for the third straight season. In amassing 94 yards on the day along with two touchdowns, Irvin placed himself within only two scores of Lorenzo White's school record of 43 career touchdowns.
While he refuses to shed light on a possible jump to the NFL at season's end, his coaches are just trying to enjoy his remaining time in a Spartan uniform -- whether it ends with this season or next.
"We wouldn't trade Sedrick Irvin for any other running back in the Big Ten," Saban said. "He's a complete football player."
