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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Sports can be a great thing, uniting passionate fanbases and helping pave the way for positive change in America.
But at the end of the day, it’s just a game.
BYU was the latest school to show the power of brotherhood through football Saturday prior to its 1:30 p.m. MT kickoff at Michigan State, laying a bouquet of flowers at the 6-and 3-yard lines in memorial of two fallen Spartans.
The Spartans (2-2) lost former defensive back Mylan Hicks and punter Mike Sadler during a long offseason for coach Mark Dantonio’s team..@BYUfootball placing roses at 3- and 6-yard lines to honor deceased former Spartan P Mike Sadler and DB Mylan Hicks pic.twitter.com/eWnL0J8R81 — Greg Wrubell (@gregwrubell) October 8, 2016
The 23-year-old Hicks, who played briefly for the San Francisco 49ers, played 32 games at Michigan State and earned a degree in psychology. The Calgary, Alberta native most recently played for the Calgary Stampede in the Canadian Football League.
He was shot and killed Sept. 25 after a fight broke out inside a nightclub in Calgary, Alberta.
Hicks’ memorial service was attended by Dantonio and the current team Friday in Detroit.
“He had that gleam in his eye, that smile,” Dantonio said during the service. “You’d ask him a question and he’s say: “Yes, Coach. Yes, Coach.” What he did for people, his teammates, you really can’t put that into words.”
Sadler died in a single-car traffic accident last July, when he was coming back from a football camp near Waukesha, Wisconsin, with Nebraska punter Sam Foltz. Both players were pronounced dead at the scene.
BYU's team captains Taysom Hill, Jamaal Williams, Kai Nacua and Harvey Langi presented the flowers to the Michigan State team captains at midfield during the ceremonial kickoff.
