MSU's Sadler remembered for off-field contributions

East Lansing — Hundreds of people, including former teammates, coaches and family members gathered at Spartan Stadium on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the life of former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler.

“We had no idea how many lives he’s affected,” Sadler’s mother, Karen Sadler, said. “Somehow he did it though. Maybe it was his wit, maybe it was his humor, maybe it was his perspective on Twitter, maybe it was his drive or his compassion, maybe it was his loyalty to his friends.

“Somehow he affected millions of people, millions of lives including each one of us in this stadium today, and that’s why we’re here.”

Sadler was 24 when he was killed in a tragic car crash July 23 after attending a kicking camp in Wisconsin. The crash — Sadler lost control on wet pavement and struck a tree — also took the life of University of Nebraska punter Sam Foltz. LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was also a passenger in the car and survived.

Sadler’s former teammates, dressed in white shirts bearing Sadler’s name and jersey No. 3, walked across Spartan Stadium’s field to start the service, re-enacting a pregame ritual the Spartan football team partakes in before every home game.

Sadler was a four-year starter for the Spartans from 2011-2014 compiling 11,307 yards — second all-time in MSU history — on 268 punts with an average of 42.2 yards per punt. He finished his career placing 21 percent of his punts inside the 10-yard line and 39 percent inside the 20.

But for Sadler’s outstanding impact on the field it was perhaps his impact in the real world which would leave its enduring mark.

In an emotional outpouring of remembrance, a slew of speakers close to Sadler recounted his life, giving a detailed account of the punter. Many recalled Sadler as a witty, kind, humble and hardworking individual who embodied what it meant to be human and a Spartan.

“Mike was damn near a perfect human,” former MSU quarterback Connor Cook said at the service, adding he thought about the death of his friend every day since the tragic event.

Sadler’s personality away from the game seemed to leave an impact on those who knew him far greater than anything else. Often infused with humor, his conversations with those he met were an attempt to extend his embrace of life to others, many of the speakers said.

“He was really quite a very very special person,” MSU coach Mark Dantonio said, adding later that Sadler was a “giver” and a “light to so many of our players.”

He was as well, MSU football’s first four-time Academic All-American in school history including a two-time First-Team Academic All-America selection. He was planning to attend Stanford Law School in the fall.

“Of course he was brilliant,” Sadler’s 10th grade English teacher, Nikki Damuth, said. “But somehow this crazy-smart kid was also the funniest person in the room.”

Sadler was known amongst many in the MSU community for his sense of humor and wit on social media. His tweets could leak into mischievous statements which landed him into athletic director Mark Hollis’ office and ultimately sparked a friendship between the two.

“We’re all better because of Mike Sadler,” Hollis said at the service. “But that’s not good enough. It’s not good enough for Mike, it’s not good enough for any of us. What I ask you is to take those four words (Pursuit of perfection, grateful, humor and friendship) and figure out what you want to do in memory of Mike.”

Members of Sadler’s family — his sister Katie, his mother, and his friend Thomas Helderop — recalled his unending moments of zany humor but put emphasis on the endless love he showed them and all those he encountered.

They told stories of Sadler’s commitment to fans and those he counted among his friends. His teammates remembered the affection Sadler had for them delving into stories of how he used his jokes and his personality to bring relaxation to them in a variety of conversations.

“Every teammate here will tell you how Mike lightened the mood,” former MSU cornerback Darqueze Dennard said. Dennard mentioned Sadler’s willingness to compete in every facet of life and ending his speech telling the Sadler family they had gained a host of sons, in Sadler’s teammates, for life.

“Pursuit of perfection, grateful, humor and friendship,” Hollis said. “To me that’s what Mike Sadler was.”

Stephen Olschanski is a freelance writer.