19 MI DE & Spartan Michael Fletcher Talks MSU Football!
With the early National Signing Day period now in the books, Michigan State has plenty to be excited about as they now have several blue-chip players in the 2019 class now signed and ready to contribute in the near future, a list that is headlined by Flint (MI) Carman-Ainsworth defensive end Michael Fletcher.
Spartan Nation recently caught up with Fletcher to discuss a number of different aspects about officially becoming a Spartan last month and Fletcher admitted that he’s relieved to have all of the recruitment in the past and is looking forward to taking the next step in his life.
“I’m real excited to have the noise calm down a little bit and be set with where I’m going,” he said. “Just turn the page on this chapter in my life.”
Fletcher, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound, 4-star recruit, originally committed to Michigan State back in June and held offers from nearly 20 Division 1 programs, including Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin.
But throughout the recruiting process Fletcher remained humble, even as several national powerhouses came calling, hoping to land one of the country’s best defensive ends and said that he never looked at himself as being better than anyone else, but rather blessed to have the opportunities that were in front of him.
“I never looked at it like I’m a football player, I just see it as a guy that’s blessed with ability to play sports,” he said. “So I never thought that I was better than anybody else no matter where my football status got to. In my eyes, everybody is the same.”
While Fletcher will not be enrolling early at Michigan State, he is looked at as one of a handful of recruits in the 2019 class who could make an early impact in East Lansing as he will be in the mix for playing time on a Michigan State defense that was one of the country’s best in 2018 and has the majority of the unit returning next fall.
Now that the Spartans officially have Fletcher heading to East Lansing, they soon could be turning up their recruiting efforts for his younger brother, Dustin, who is one of the top quarterbacks in the state of Michigan for the class of 2020 as he already holds seven offers and has received serious interest from Michigan State.
But even as his brother’s recruitment heats up, Fletcher admitted that he won’t be trying to convince Dustin to join him, but rather wants him to make the best decision for himself.
“The decision is his to make and wherever he goes, I’m going to be happy for him and cheering for him,” he said. “I don’t really try to sway him one way or another, if he asks me a question, I’ll give him an honest answer and let him make his decision.”
And with the second National Signing Day quickly approaching and with the Spartans eyeing several other players to join Fletcher and the rest of the 2019 class, Fletcher admitted that he doesn’t look at himself as a recruiter for the Spartans, but will offer his opinions and advice to other players if they ask him for help.
“I’ve never told a guy where to go anywhere or go to MSU,” he said. “I just tell them my experiences and my thoughts with the coaching. But whatever they decide, I’ll be happy for them because at the end of the day, we’re all going to school for free and that’s the biggest blessing. I wouldn’t put myself as a recruiter, but I’ll talk to some guys.”
Although his future is on the gridiron for the Spartans, Fletcher is currently helping Carman-Ainsworth on the hardwood as he hopes to lead the Cavaliers on a deep playoff run before heading off to East Lansing.
As far as what it means to him to officially be a Spartan, Fletcher, who intends on majoring in business or engineering, said that it means he’s apart of a program and university that has the same values as he does and looks at Michigan State as a place where he can become a better person in a number of different ways.
“It means everything,” he said. “The values they share, family, hard work, dedication, becoming a better man, the football mentality, it’s just a great feeling knowing that I’ll be going somewhere that values that stuff as much as me. That’s somewhere diverse, somewhere I think I can thrive, meet new people and become a better person and a better man.”
Remember to stay tuned to Spartan Nation for all of the latest news on Fletcher and the rest of the Michigan State football team!
