MSU Red Cedar Message Board

I figured everyone knew this was coming. MD all but announced this a few days ago.

Once Burbridge and Mills qualified, they probably needed the scholarship.

From The Only Colors

http://www.theonlycolors.com/2012/8/2/3216218/five-fall-camp-story-lines

4. So what's going on with Arthur Ray Jr.?

Yeah, this is something I haven't necessarily read a lot about, but is a pretty uncomfortable side-plot. Every good Spartan knows Ray's story: after signing his LOI in 2007 he started chemo on a cancerous growth in his leg and didn't enroll until the Spring of '08. He then faced a reinfection that forced numerous more surgeries and missed the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons. All through this time Dantonio and MSU stuck by Ray, and in 2011 he was healthy enough to see the football field. He got a (ceremonial, but nonetheless) start against Youngstown State and saw the field in two other blowout games. He also graduated, and won a handful of awards for his battle back to the field. A truly inspiring story. That now gets awkward.

See, Ray wants to play his 6th, and maybe 7th, year of eligibility at Michigan State. Dantonio, somewhat understandably, seems reluctant to give a 6th year to a player who has already graduated and isn't currently breaking into MSU's 3 deeps at any position. This situation raises questions about what exactly a school owes an athlete who's struggled with a non-athletics based injury that has hurt the athlete's past and current prospects at playing time. Do they owe five years, until the player graduates, or as many as the NCAA grants the player?

Best of everything to a true spartan warrior! Wish they could make room for him...sigh.

This makes the most sense. How much PT is ARJ going to get at OG in the next season or two? We only graduate one OG after 2012 and it sounds like Allen is going to get PT no matter what.

He was going up against a pretty vicious DL. May not have been up to the challenge.

So what is your point?

The SB's will twist your comment. You better watch out.

Good post.

I think you nailed it.

Of course we all wish him the best to succeed in the future, with or without football in the picture. We all love Arthur and I'm sure that this decision was made with both parties understanding the consequences of it.

If you have to ask at this point, I won't bother answering you.

THIS!
+1

I am not trying to sound heartless but it's time for Arthur to move on to the next phase of his life. He did better than most people as he received a scholarship to play football at a BCS conference school as well as receiving a degree from a world class university and walking away with some nice mommentos from being a member of this team. He will always be a Spartan and his perseverance at overcoming his cancer as well as being able to suit up and play in a few games is and will forever more be an inspirational story.

With all that being said, the facts are his career will go no further than the college level. MSU and Dantonio honored their obligation to this young man by developing him and educating him into the young man he is today. In all honesty Arthur Ray is not going to provide much in the way of an on-field contribution this year. The talent on this team has surpassed him to the point that scout team reps need to go to younger offensive linemen. Is he hanging around just to be a member of a team that could potentially end up in Pasadena or is it his and the coaches belief that he can truly contribute. If he is just going to hang around then he needs to move on to allow someone else the chance to compete. The coaches have obviously notified him that his contribution will add little to no value.

There are other ways that Ray can still be associated with this team and program that are not playing related. There have been a couple of former MSU players whose careers were cut short by injuries, but they stayed as members of the team by playing music in practice. If any of these young men had aspirations of becoming football coaches at a high school level what better opportunity to glean some knowledge by listening and watching Dantonio and how he does things.

You go all this way and they won't let him finish. We don't play in the SEC.