Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • B6

6B WWW.FREEP.COM SATURDAY, COVER STORY FOOTBALL The Spartan Spring Tailgate charity event was winding down Thursday night in Troy, and Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio was preparing to pick the raffle winner to benefit Place. But first, he took one final question from the crowd. And the young fan who asked it hit the jackpot. the best player out of all of the years been coaching Michigan The crowd laughed and murmured with anticipation. best player? You know, a tough Dantonio said with a smile and a shoulder shrug.

the best player has to do it all. He has to be in control of the game, he has to be a great leader in the locker room he has to do all these different things. So, I hate to put it out there, but I would have to say Kirk Dantonio touched on a number of topics about his first decade at MSU and looked ahead to this season. He fielded questions from the audience after his 20-minute speech. One fan asked how he motivates his players to work as a team and push themselves beyond expectations.

think you have to build in loyalty to each Dantonio said. is so important. You have to put yourself behind others. As a leader, you walk behind people a lot. If out in front, with you, sometimes they follow you.

But if you push them forward, I think you get much more out of Another fan asked what makes Brian Lewerke projected starting quarterback over the others entering the fall. Dantonio said expects to win, and extremely He also likened Lewerke to the player he called his best Spartan. always thought he has a lot of Kirk Cousins-like tendencies as a Dantonio said. got very strong faith. I think when you have I think everything else is a much smaller thing.

You need to be accountable for something more than wins and losses. I think he has Among other topics Dantonio addressed: The coach said senior quarterback Damion Terry coming off of shoulder during the off-season. In December, Dantonio said Terry also had a minor knee procedure. Dantonio was asked about his thought process of calling the fake field goal touchdown pass against Notre Dame in 2010. He talked about how Aaron Bates had completed the pass in practice all week after coaches analyzed Brian special-teams tendencies, though it always went to Bell and not Charlie Gantt as Bates did to win the game.

But he also had a simpler reason why he called it instead of letting freshman Dan Conroy attempt the kick: said, well, a 48-yard field goal. I think he could make It was his first big kick as a player. I knew I had to make a quick decision, but I think it would be fair to put all that pressure on him. I said that (pressure) has got to go to One of the residents of Place a nonprofit organization celebrating 25 years of providing homes and services to people with developmental disabilities in metro Detroit asked Dantonio a question a lot of MSU fans have pondered: think gonna win some games this The crowd laughed and applauded. Dantonio quickly quipped, you a Michigan and then added: One in Contact Chris Solari: Follow him on Twitter Download our Spartans Xtra app for free on Appleand Androiddevices! Michigan State Dantonio: Cousins the best Spartan coached By Chris Solari Detroit Free Press Quarterback Kirk Cousins The Lions are counting on first- round pick Jarrad Davis to make an instant impact this fall.

Coach Jim Caldwell said before the start of rookie minicamp Friday that Davis is well equipped to help a defense that allowed the highest completion percentage against in NFL history last year. expect him to be a factor for Caldwell said. guy. got ability, can run, hit, etc. So, I think help us Davis made his practice debut Friday as he joined eight other draft picks plus assorted first-year players, undrafted rookies and tryout guys at rookie minicamp.

The Lions had one of the worst line- backing corps in the NFL last year, and Davis, the 21st pick of the draft out of Florida, is expected to start at middle linebacker. like anything Caldwell said. try to put them in the best spot possible that you think where they can fit. But, nowadays, the way in which you have so much nickel in the ballgame, those guys are really flexible in terms of the position that they arrival means last starting middle linebacker, Tahir Whitehead, will play outside linebacker. Whitehead is expected to vie for playing time in nickel packages with free-agent addition Paul Worrilow and rookie fourth-round pick Jalen Reeves-Maybin.

Caldwell declined to specify where Whitehead fits on the depth chart. Whitehead led the Lions with a career-high 132 tackles in 15 games last year and has experience playing all three linebacker positions. not talking about depth charts or anything of that nature, going to line up where and all that kind of stuff at this point until we get them all Caldwell said. got a lot of time yet. see happening, but I would anticipate that going to be a factor just like he has been for every other year since been here, at Davis, who started his final two college seasons at middle linebacker, was one of eight draft picks to sign his rookie contract Friday, ensuring he miss time for contractual reasons.

Under the slotted draft system, contract is worth about $10.5 million and includes a team option for the fifth year. Last No. 21 pick, wide receiver Will Fuller of the Houston Texans, had all but a portion of his fourth- year salary fully guaranteed at the time of signing. Along with Davis, the Lions signed every member of their 2017 draft class except third-rounder Kenny Golladay. Last year, they signed nine of their 10 picks before the start of rookie minicamp and finalized a deal with second-rounder Robinson days later.

Golladay is taking part in rookie minicamp. The Lions also signed 14 undrafted free agents: tight end Brandon Barnes (Alabama State), defensive end Alex Barrett (San Diego State), wide receiver Dontez Ford (Pitt), running back Tion Green (Cincinnati), defensive tackle Nick James (Mississippi State), offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi (Hawaii), cornerback Des Lawrence (North Carolina), offensive tackle Storm Norton (Toledo), wide receiver Michael Rector (Stanford), defensive tackle Maurice Swain (Auburn), wide receiver Noel Thomas (UConn), cornerback Josh Thornton (Southern Utah), tight end Robert Tonyan (Indiana State) and defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga (UNLV). you can get them out there and get them started right on time, always Caldwell said. acouple different ways that can happen for you, but it worked well for SCOUTING CHANGES: The Lions reorganized their scouting department, handing out new titles to several top executives and adding a new scouting assistant. Kyle general manager BobQuinn top aide, was promoted to vice president of player personnel from director of player personnel.

Lance Newmark the director of college scouting, is now director of player personnel, and longtime Southeast regional scout Dave Sears is the new assistant director of college scouting. Steve Neal is now an area scout after spending last year as the BLESTO (scouting service) scout, Eloy Ledesma takes over as BLESTO scout after joining the player personnel department as a scouting assistant last year, and Ron Miles takes over as a college scout. Lions notebook Caldwell: Rookie LB Davis will help By Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press win a job this weekend, but he praised his toughness and versatility. think anybody knows seen him work, a good special-teamer, tough, a very good pass Caldwell said. carries the ball, and he runs behind his pads.

always been a very, very effective player in this Caldwell also declined to say if the Lions have any interest in LeGarrette Blount, the top running back left in free agency. Blount led the NFL with 18 touchdowns last year, but his situation was complicated by the New England Patriots placing a little-used veteran free-agent tender on him this week. The tender means Blount will factor in to the compensatory draft pick formula if he signs elsewhere, and the Patriots have the right to match any offer he receives. discuss those Caldwell said when asked about the interest in Blount. The Lions averaged just 81.9 yards rushing per game last year, fewer yards than they averaged when they finished last in the league in rushing in 2015.

Abdullah had 101 yards on 18 carries before he was lost for the season, and Riddick missed six games with ankle and wrist injuries. The Lions also return Zach Zenner and Dwayne Washington. believe Ameer Abdullah, when healthy and rolling, awfully Caldwell said. you have to do is just take a look at the numbers. listen to me, look at the numbers and see when on the field for you what he does.

When out there healthy for us, everybody knows what he can do. Those guys create a punch. I think anybody in this room has a question whether or not Zach Zenner can run the ball. got a young guy in Dwayne Washington. Nobody really knows how good he can be, but he has talent, he has ability, we like what we see in that particular area, and developing.

coming Contact Dave Birkett: Follow him on Twitter Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Appleand Android! LIONS: Coach says team will have good running depth FROM PAGE 1B Yale Lary was one of the best all- around football players of his generation despite missing two seasons in the prime of his career to serve in the Army. Early Friday morning, the Lions Hall of Fame safety died at 86 at his home in Ft. Worth, Texas. Lary played 11 seasons for the Lions in 1952-53 and 1956-64. He made nine Pro Bowls and helped the team win three NFL championships in his first four seasons, the most recent titles in franchise history.

He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. Lions Hall of Fame linebacker Joe Schmidt, who played with Lary in the 1950s and mourned the loss of his former teammate and friend. was a big part of our football Schmidt said. was a great defensive back. He could run punts back.

He was a punter, a very good punter. And he played defensive back. Could run kickoffs back. So, if he was playing today, I think be making quite a bit of Schmidt said natural ability and athleticism helped him excel dur- ing an era when coaches and scouts need stopwatches to verify what they already knew: Some players were simply fast and good. was a great Schmidt said.

had great physical ability. He was built real well, and he had great intelligence about the Lary intercepted 50 passes for the Lions and won the punting crown three times. He also served as the punt and kick returner and was selected to the all-decade team of the 1950s. behalf of my family and the Detroit Lions, I would like to extend my deepest, personal sympathies to Mary Jane and to his children Yale Jr. and Nancy Jane on the passing of Lions owner Martha Ford said in a statement.

his Hall of Fame career indicates, Yale truly was one of our all- time great players and one of the greatest of his generation. As good as he was on the field, he also was a genuinely wonderful person, one whose company and friendship Mr. Ford and Igreatly Athird-round pick out of Texas in 1952, Lary is among 20 Lions enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Lary was a true American Hall of Fame CEO David Baker said in a statement. was defined by his heart and character that made him one of the greatest players.

Yale led by example and raised the level of all his teammates that resulted in multiple league titles for the Detroit Free Press sports writer Carlos Monarrez contributed. Contact Dave Birkett: Follow him on Twitter Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Appleand Android! Yale Lary: 1930-2017 ASSOCIATED PRESS Yale Lary poses with his bust and drawing at his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in Versatile player an ace pickoff artist, punter Hall of Famer a great all-around athlete who played 11 seasons for Lions, helping team win three titles in 1950s By Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press DICK FREE PRESS Lary won the NFL punting crown three times. He died Friday at 86..