Michigan State's Alex VanSumeren Had Difficult Road to First Start
Michigan State defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren first couple of years as a Spartan were anything but ideal.
An ESPN top 300 recruit and younger brother of former two-year Spartan letterwinner Ben VanSumeren, Alex came to East Lansing with very high expectations surrounding him.
Alex would play four games in his first season with the program before misfortune struck in 2023 fall camp when he suffered a lower-body injury that had him miss the entirety of last season.
"It was a grind. That whole year. Just sitting out and having to watch my teammates last year was really tough on me, but I had a lot of people in my corner," Alex told reporters earlier this week. "I'm super thankful for Rod Scott -- he's our head athletic trainer -- and everyone here that helped me get back healthy, all the strength coaches and all of them."
For a player who was gearing up for his second season, finding out you won't be taking the field with your brothers for the foreseeable future can significantly weigh on your mind mentally. But Alex was able to find a silver lining through it all.
"It was tough, but it's just part of the game," Alex said. "It made me appreciate the game that much more, and it really just made me hungrier. Having something taken away from you that you love kind of turns you into a different beast, I feel like. So, at the end of the day, I'm thankful for it. I just relied on the people ijn my corner and my faith."
What a difference a year made, though, as at the end o this year's fall camp, Alex was given the notice he would make his first collegiate start in the Spartans' season opener against Florida Atlantic.
Even after his major injury last year and having to miss spring camp, Alex said he "wasn't surprised" to get the start.
"But that's just due to the people that have helped me get to where I'm at," he said.
Alex shined in the Spartans' Week 1 win, posting three tackles with a sack. Barring any more injuries, everything is still on the table for his collegiate career.
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