Star tailback Javon Ringer inducted in Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame
One of the most prolific running backs in the history of Michigan State football will be been inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame this fall.
Javon Ringer, the Spartans' all-time leader in all-purpose yards, was one of nine 2023 inductees alongside Guy Busch (men's soccer), Nicole Bush (women's cross country/track & field), Al Dorow (football), Stan Drobac (men's tennis), Rob Ellis (baseball), Nance Lyons Hall (field hockey/softball), David Morgan (wrestling) and Emily Regan (rowing).
The class will be inducted on Friday, Sept. 15 and will receive special recognition during that weekend's home football game against Washington on Saturday.
Michigan State's full profile on Ringer can be read below.
Javon Ringer
Football (2005-08)
Dayton, Ohio
Javon Ringer's name is scattered all throughout Michigan State's record book. But for all his accolades, perhaps the most impressive aspect of his career was the humble nature in which he carried himself on a daily basis, from his demeanor to his work ethic to his praise of his teammates. It's also why the news of getting inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame caught him off guard. He simply wasn't expecting it.
"I can't tell you the last time I was legitimately shocked and at a loss for words," remarked Ringer upon getting the call from MSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Alan Haller. "That's how I felt…I was left speechless. I was emotional. I can't truly put into words the gratitude that I felt, the humbleness that I felt, the emotional state that I was in – it was unbelievable. I genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, didn't think that this would be possible right now."
Ringer ranks first on MSU's all-time list in all-purpose yards (5,426), second in rushing yards (4,398), carries (843) and 100-yard rushing games (19), and fifth in total touchdowns (35) and rushing TDs (34). Along with Lorenzo White, Ringer is one of just two Spartans to lead the team in rushing four consecutive seasons (2005-08).
His record-breaking 2008 season as a senior was one of the best ever in Michigan State history. The consensus first-team All-American and Doak Walker Award finalist led the nation in scoring (132 points; 10.2 ppg) and carries (390) while ranking fourth in rushing (125.9 ypg). He also set a school record with 22 rushing touchdowns and his 1,637 rushing yards rank third most in a single season.
The Dayton, Ohio, product made an immediate impact for the Spartans. In just his fourth game as a true freshman in 2005, he rushed for a Spartan-freshman record 194 yards on 13 carries in a win at Illinois, and went on to lead MSU with 817 rushing yards for the season, the second-best single-season rushing total by a true freshman in school history. A knee injury sidelined Ringer for four games during his sophomore campaign in 2006, but he still led the team in rushing with 497 yards on 86 carries and earned the team's Biggie Munn Award as the most inspirational player.
In 2007, Mark Dantonio took over as head coach of the Spartans, and his run-first philosophy of "Pound Green Pound" was perfect for Ringer, who proceeded to have two of the most productive seasons on the ground in school history.
"I can't thank Coach D enough," said Ringer. "He brought back that toughness to Michigan State. I wanted to grind with my brothers, and I wanted us to be a team – that toughness, I wanted that, I thrived on that. I loved that, and appreciated it so much."
During MSU's resurgent 2007 season, Ringer rushed for 1,447 yards to become the program's first 1,000-yard rusher in six seasons, and he was named the team MVP while garnering second-team All-Big Ten honors.
But it was during his senior season in 2008 that Ringer became a household name throughout the country. He had a blazing start to the season and became the first offensive player in Big Ten history to earn Player of the Week honors in three consecutive weeks. He rushed for five touchdowns and 135 yards vs. Eastern Michigan in Week 2, then in a constant downpour the next week vs. Florida Atlantic, he compiled 309 all-purpose yards, including a career-high 282 rushing yards on 43 carries.
Ringer was selected the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the third week in a row after becoming the first Spartan back to record back-to-back 200-yard rushing games, gaining 201 yards on 39 carries in Michigan State's 23-7 victory over Notre Dame. His 201 rushing yards were the most ever by a Spartan against the Fighting Irish. On MSU's final scoring drive, Ringer carried the ball seven straight times for 77 yards, including a 63-yard gain to set up his second TD run. But after the game, Ringer was determined the share the spotlight, as he had his entire offensive line, along with tight ends and fullbacks, join him around the podium in the post-game press conference.
"If a running back is having a good season, that means the offensive line and the fullbacks and the tight ends are working hard – it's not just you," recalled Ringer, who was voted a captain by his teammates as a senior. "The offensive line is not a glorious position, and I was getting a lot of interviews at that time, so I was trying to direct some of that attention toward them. So I told them, the next time this happens, I'm going to bring them with me. After the Notre Dame game, I called them all over, and told them they were all going with me (to the interview room). Football is the ultimate team sport – without your lineman, you won't be able to accomplish anything. That was a moment that I'm glad we were able to share."
Ringer nearly made it three games in a row with 200 rushing yards as he collected 198 yards on 44 carries the next week in a win at Indiana. He also came to close to eclipsing the 200-yard mark at Michigan on Oct. 25 – but that legendary performance almost didn't happen.
Ringer tweaked his hamstring at Thursday's practice before the annual Paul Bunyan Trophy game while working out on special teams on a kick return.
"But nobody was keeping me out of that game," said Ringer. "By the grace of God, I thank God that He held me together for that one."
Ringer ended up rushing 37 times for 194 yards and two scores in the 35-21 victory over the Wolverines, as the Spartans snapped a six-game losing streak in the series and won in Michigan Stadium for the first time since 1990. He broke off a season-long 64-yard touchdown run down the sideline in the second quarter and also had a 3-yard TD in the fourth quarter that put MSU on top for good in the 14-point win.
Ringer led the Big Ten in rushing for nine consecutive weeks (Sept. 14-Nov. 9) and helped lead the Spartans to their first New Year's Bowl game in nine years with an appearance in the Capital One Bowl vs. Georgia.
When everything was added up at the end, Ringer accounted for 97 percent of Michigan State's rushing yards (1,637 of 1,692) and 76 percent of its rushing attempts (390 of 511) in 2008. He also returned kicks and caught passes out of the backfield, giving him a total of 429 all-purpose plays on the season – the most in Big Ten history, and a record that still stands today. His 390 carries in a single season also rank No. 2 in conference history.
"I will always be grateful to Coach D because he trusted me," said Ringer, who earned team MVP honors for the second straight year in 2008. "He trusted me with putting a lot on my shoulders, especially my senior year. I appreciate that Coach D trusted me to be able to handle that, which gave me an opportunity to showcase my talent and accomplish what I was able to accomplish.
"I also have to give props to Coach Dan Enos, who was my running backs coach at Michigan State. I really connected with him well and had a good vibe with him. I owe a lot to him as well. Having that coaching change (midway through Ringer's career) and having that relationship with Coach D and Coach Enos meant the world to me."
Ringer finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy balloting for the 2008 season and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round (No. 173 overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons (2009-12) with the Titans, rushing for 486 yards and three touchdowns on 120 carries in 37 career games.
"It was funny, when I got drafted by the Tennessee Titans, some of the players when I got there, they thought I was bigger than what I was," Ringer said. "They thought I was like 230-some pounds, because of how much I carried the ball. I was only 205 pounds. Granted, I was put together, thanks to Coach (Ken Mannie); he really helped me out. From my freshman year all the way to my senior year, I worked hard in the weight room – the weight room was my friend.
"Having a strong mindset – that's where it starts first. To be mature enough not when the lights are on, but what you're doing in the offseason. You really have to put in that work. And I'm thankful I had teammates that pushed me and helped me along the way, especially Blair White. He was one of my favorite players I've played with. He was a walk-on at the time, and every day he worked hard, and if he was pushing himself every day, then I had too as well."
Following his playing career, Ringer returned to Michigan State as a recruiting intern in 2016 before working with the Toledo Rockets as a quality control coach and in operations. He is now back at MSU as a recruiting assistant under head coach Mel Tucker.
"It's been a tremendous blessing to be able to be back," said Ringer. "I'm thankful that Coach Tucker has been good letting me play my role and help the program.
"Another thing that really stood out to me was that Coach D was always talking about the Michigan State program, that it was going to continue to build, and continue to grow. And he would ask us how big do we want our brick to be? By the time I was a junior (and Coach Dantonio became head coach), I was like, in two years, I'm going to be gone, and Michigan State is going to continue to grow. So while I'm here, how big do I want my brick to be in the process of continuing to uplift Michigan State University? That meant a lot to me. And after I left, I came back a lot and was still around the program. I still think about that. It's special at Michigan State, and I'm just thankful that I'm still able to give back to the place that has been such a huge blessing to my life."
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