Coach Mark Dantonio wouldn't say much as he couldn't comment on the investigation in any matter. But he wanted to clear the air and answer what he could about the football team in one of the toughest times of his ten year career at Michigan State.
"As I do this today, you know, obviously we've had some good times here and we've had some low points, and obviously these are the difficult times," explains Dantonio. "But I also think this is an opportunity to re-center ourselves as a program, as people, and take direction from--whether it's myself or anybody else in that capacity--and move forward."
Right now, three of his players are being investigated as part of a sexual assault case. All three and a football staff member have been suspended. Dantonio said that's why he's not talking about football.
"I think as much as anything what I've tried to do is not say 'hey football is more important than this, than what's going on here.' And so I don't want to start to. I don't want to do that right now. I think that we need to get to a point where we can talk about football. I know we need to do that, but at this point in time with the investigation not completely done, I don't think it's fair for me to talk and trivialize what went down."
Dantonio says he's using his role as head coach to educate his players.
"I do my very best to protect our community, to protect our environment, to protect my family. The message I would send out to everybody out there is I'm going to do the right thing... to the best of my ability."
