At the heart of the Michigan State football team’s success is its defense. At the heart of it defense is its front seven. And at the heart of the front seven is junior defensive end Shilique Calhoun.
He has the awards and honors to prove it: A first-team All-Big Ten selection, a 2013 Second-Team All-American pick and the 2013 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.
And as the Spartans prepare to replicate last year’s performance against Michigan, they’ll lean on Calhoun once more.
The Daily sat down with Calhoun, who was a quarterback in high school, at Big Ten Media Day in July.
The Michigan Daily: Now that you’ve won the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten Championship, do you think you’re respected by teams from around the conference and the nation?
Shilique Calhoun: I don’t think we’re as recognized as we would like to be. I feel like we’re still kind of under the radar, nationally, and that’s a goal that we can strive for. I don’t take it as any sign of disrespect. I just take it as something we can strive to be.
TMD: How do you earn that respect? What more do you have to do to sway someone else’s opinion?
SC: I think it’s just constant success. You have to duplicate it over the years, and I feel like we’re on our way to doing that. We want to be known so we’re trying to have successful years each and every year.
Some people automatically believe after you have that successful year, you’re going to have that downfall year. And it’s no shock that’s how they think of Michigan State. So we kind of use that to say, ‘We’re not going to fall back this year. We’re going to step up to the plate and we’re going to have another great year.’
TMD: So at what point do you think people might consider you as a powerhouse, or as a perennially successful team?
SC: You know, I’m not sure. That could come 50 years down the road or way after my time. But as of right now, the only thing I can affect is this season. So hopefully we can do what we’re supposed to do: click and play the way we know how to play. Hopefully teams will start to respect us more.
TMD: Coach Dantonio hasn’t taken the same levity in addressing answers as you might. Does that stern, almost stubborn persona, work in the locker room? Does it pump you up?
SC: You guys get the uptight coach. We get the fun coach. He’s down with whatever it takes to help us win.”
TMD: So does that explain bringing in (rapper) Rich Homie Quan into the locker room (as the Spartans did after their Rose Bowl victory)? Didn’t that surprise you a bit?
SC:For him to bring in Rich Homie Quan, it was kinda surprising. But at the same time it wasn’t because I know what type of guy he is.
Whatever pleases the team, he’s down for it. Whatever it takes to have success, whatever it takes to play as a team. He wants to be a part of it. He’s definitely lightened the mood in the locker room, but he’s always been that guy.
TMD: Does that type of mentality work, then? Do you think it’s helped you last year to be able to dance and be loose?
SC: Well, I think it’s great team bonding, And it’s not just the players bonding; it’s the coaches bonding with the players also. He really brought us together last year and did a good job of making us a tight-knit family.
He knows he can’t put the pads on and go out there and play with us. He can only coach, but any way possible, he wants us to be better players.