Andre Rison Returning to Michigan State as Student Coach
Former Michigan State great Andre Rison is headed back to East Lansing.
Rison has spent the past two years as the head football coach at his high school alma mater, Flint Michigan’s Northwestern High School, but decided it was time to call it quits and head back to school to finish his degree at the school where he remains the all-time leader in receiving yardage.
“I promised my mother, father and grandparents that I would go back and finish my degree one day,” Rison said.
Finishing his degree in which he is 30 credits shy isn’t the only perk, however. Rison will also tutor the Michigan State wide outs as a student assistant coach for Mark Dantonio’s Spartan team.
“This will also enable me to be part of the coaching staff at Michigan State and I am very thankful to (head coach) Mark Dantonio for giving me the opportunity. I’ve always been close to the Michigan State program and have wanted to give back by coaching for a long time.”
Rison spent 12 seasons catching passes in the NFL and was named to the Pro Bowl five times and also won a Super Bowl ring with Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. He finished his career with 10,205 yards receiving and 84 touchdowns.
Rison had had his share of run-ins with the law off the field but that hasn’t stopped the former wide receiver from giving back to the game that gave him his start.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me and I know I’ll be able to help Michigan State’s receivers better their game,” he said. “I have a lot of experiences in college, the NFL and through my coaching that I can pass along.”
Rison will assist wide receivers coach Terry Samuel tutor a group of receivers that can probably benefit from his experience. Not only did Michigan State lose its starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins, to graduation and the NFL, but it also must replace its top three wide receivers from 2011.
